17 February 2024 , 18:44
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Vito Coppola has raised eyebrows by declaring his love for a woman named Julia - weeks after his Strictly Come Dancing victory with Ellie Leach.
The 31-year-old Italian professional dancer romped to victory on Strictly last year when he was paired with 22-year-old former Coronation Street actress Ellie. The duo hot-stepped their way to the final where they triumphed over fellow celebrity finalists Bobby Brazier, 20, and Layton Williams, 29.
While rumours of a romance between Vito and Ellie swirled throughout their time on the BBC show, hopes of a relationship have since been dashed as Ellie has been romantically linked to Bobby instead. But now Vito has roused suspicions he might be dating a mystery brunette.
Taking to Instagram over the weekend, the TV star - who has also triumphed on Italy’s version of Strictly, called Ballando con le Stelle - shared a snap of himself cosying up to another woman. Both Vito and the woman, who is named Julia, pouted for the camera - while he shared a birthday wish to her.
Vito wrote 'love you' while sending birthday wishes to a woman named Julia (@vitocoppola/Instagram)
Vito won Strictly in 2023 alongside actress Ellie Leach (PA)Writing in Italian, Vito wrote: “Happy birthday puppy. Get your passport and I’ll wait for you in London.” He also added, in English, the words “Love you” and a red heart emoji. He tagged the lady in question, with the link leading to a private Instagram account for Julia Manna.
Strictly's Molly Rainford and Tyler West fuel romance rumours while on tour
Her account shares no public information, simply stating in her bio: “One day at a time.” After teasing fans of a possible romance between them, Vito and Ellie finally confirmed they were just friends last month. Speaking ahead of the launch of the 2024 Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour, the pair finally ended speculation about the level of their friendship.
Vito said: "We have a great relationship and honestly when you just find people, not just me and Ellie but their family which I love. You just find these people that you think are going to stay in my life forever, in each other's lives forever. And all the family and the dogs." Ellie added: "And the dogs, yes Rufus!" Vito continued: "We are going nowhere, don't worry I am going to annoy you every single day, every week and every single year." When asked by The Mirror if they mean as friends, Ellie replied: "Yes," as Vito added: "Yes as good friends."
Vito has been linked to dance partners in the past. When he won Ballando con le Stelle in 2021, it was thanks to having Italian pop singer Arisa at his side. The dance pro and the 41-year-old singer – whose real name is Rosalba Pippa – hit it off on stage as well as behind-the-scenes and it wasn’t long before reports emerged that the pair were dating.
But, after a year of being together, the romance reportedly fizzled out – with the Italian press claiming the pair couldn’t work things out after going through a “rocky patch”. Vito addressed the break up in local news, telling reporters: “We have remained on good terms, but ours is only a friendly one. We are not a couple, we are not talking about coexistence: today we are not together.”
He was later linked to Helen Skelton after she appeared on Strictly in 2022. Helen appeared on the show not long after her marriage to rugby player Richie Myler collapsed. Vito offered a shoulder for Helen to cry on – and the pair grew even closer during the Strictly tour in early 2023. A source claimed: "[Vito and Helen] were good friends during Strictly, but really bonded on tour."
"There were two buses for the cast – the party bus and the quiet bus. They [Helen and Vito] spent a lot of time chatting on the quiet bus and getting to know each other… Then, if the whole group went for dinner, they would sit together, deep in conversation." However, nothing came of the reports.