Strictly Come Dancing’s Vito Coppola continues to fuel speculation as he shares steamy message to Ellie Leach on social media amid romance rumors

Ellie Leach and her professional partner Vito Coppola has sparked many romance rumors since appearing together on Strictly Come Dancing.

And the speculation doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon after Vito, 31, shared a steamy message the coronation Street star, 22, on Sunday evening.

The dancer shared how “proud he is of Ellie and the woman she is becoming” alongside a photo of their near-miss kiss during their performance on Saturday.

Vito also shared behind-the-scenes photos of the duo during rehearsals with choreographers Leandro Palou and Maria Tsiatsiani.

He wrote: ‘What an intense week it was… We enjoyed it so much! It was different from the usual Argentine tango in several ways. Lulu [Ellie] was the strong and independent woman in control.

‘This trip becomes more special every week. Through dancing and playing different characters we can discover many different sides of ourselves, and I personally think that is what life is, a journey to get to know ourselves better…

‘I am so proud of you and the woman you are becoming. Weeks ago I met a girl, and now look at you and I’m sure you have a lot more to show and a lot more to say Lulú.

‘Everyone is proud of you, but above all you should be proud of yourself, because you and only you know all the sacrifices and commitment it takes to perform that way, for someone who has never danced before.

‘Brava Lulú, keep going and let’s keep dancing.’

Ellie simply responded to Vito’s post by reposting his message, along with a crying eyes emoji and a red heart emoji as the caption.

The pair further fueled the romance rumor on Sunday’s results show as they chatted with host Claudia Winkleman, 51.

Actress Ellie told how her father was proud of how she performed throughout the series and was particularly fond of Vito.

She explained: ‘My dad is usually a man of few words and he rarely shows any emotion, but every week he texts me and says, ‘So proud of you, crying again’, as if on a welling up.

“And he’s just been so great and so supportive, it’s been nice to know that I’m making him proud.”

Ellie added: “He loves Vito.”

Vito then said, ‘I love Ellie’s family because you know, we exchange cooking recipes and I’m like “okay, show me how to make the gravy and the mashed potatoes and I’ll tell you how to make pasta.”‘

The conversation went down very well with fans of the show, who hoped it was a sign that the pair were falling for each other.

One person wrote on Twitter: ‘Just catching up on the #Strictly Results show. Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of the opening song… But I loved Vito talking about his recipe exchanges with Ellie’s family! I love you @Vito__Copola.”

Someone else said: ‘Whether they’re a real couple or not, Ellie and Vito are my Christmas love story for 2023 and you won’t convince me otherwise. As the children say: I KILL them.’

While another viewer posted: ‘#Can I strictly tell you how much I love #Vito! He’s like an excited puppy that you just want to pick up and cuddle. And he and #Ellie are simply the best dancing couple ever! And they would be a beautiful couple if they stopped dancing.’

On Saturday night, Strictly Vito reignited the speculation with a very pointed comment to his dance partner Ellie.

The pair impressed with their amazing week 10 routine for Destiny’s Child, Bills, Bills, Bills.

Speaking to host Claudia after their performance, Vito was asked about the amount of control needed for that particular dance.

“So much control, it’s been hard since last week, she was so scattered with everything and this one you have to keep everything in,” Vito explained.

Then he added, “There’s a fireball between us and I said, ‘Look at me and eat me with your eyes.’

It comes after Vito awkwardly avoided questions about his and Ellie’s chemistry and relationship during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine on Tuesday.

The professional dancer dodged questions about his and the soap star’s collaboration as they remain the favorites to lift the Strictly Glitterball.

Host Lorraine said: ‘You’re both single, everyone wants a romance, you get on incredibly well – there’s clearly a connection…’

Vito replied, “Not just Ellie, Ellie’s entire family has become like another family to me. I’ve been so lucky because they’re so great.’

He turned to Ellie and continued, “Your mom makes the best gravy, I ate the whole jar!” So of course friends and people who will stay in your life forever.’

Strictly Come Dancing: Musicals Special airs this Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7.25pm.