Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Leach is on fire as she continues to climb up the scoreboard on the hit BBC dancing show with professional partner Vito Coppola.

But the Coronation Street actress, 22, continues to keep up with her ITV co-stars, and has offered a heartfelt message to one of her former colleagues. On the show, Ellie played the role of Faye Windass - taking on the character for some 12 years before she left the cobbles to take part in Strictly.

After being in the show for so long, Leach formed a lot of close relationships with a lot of her co-stars. One actress she formed a particularly close bond with was Lucy Fallon, who took on the role of Bethany Platt on the soap.

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After ywars away from the show, Lucy is set to make her grand return to the show to reprise her role in Weatherfield. She also recently celebrated her 28th birthday, something that good pal Ellie was sure not to miss.

Ellie Leach and Lucy Fallon
Ellie paid tribute to one of her Corrie bestie Lucy Fallon

Taking to social media, the former Corrie actress gushed over her mate Lucy, uploading a stunning picture of the pair together. In the snap, the duo were dressed to the nines whilst attending Haydock Races to mark Lucy's special day.

Ellie looked amazing as she rocked a vibrant yellow suit at the racecourse. She paired the bright, poppy ensemble with a poppy purple floral clutch, and a pair of magenta heels.

Ellie Leach
Leach paid tribute to her soap friend, saying she 'loved' her

Birthday girl Lucy also beamed with a smile as she donned a long-flowing green gown with a light trail and a tight-fitting corset. She finished her own look with a pair of cream pumps and a pair of sunglasses resting gently on her platinum blonde locks.

Captioning the post, Ellie wrote: "Happy birthday Lu Fal," followed by two heart emojis, one yellow and one green. "Love you lots, hope Sonny Bum has you spoilt rotten xxxx."

Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola
Leach is currently lighting up the dancefloor on Strictly

It has been a busy year for Lucy, who took time away from the cobbles to welcome her first child, Sonny, into the world together with her partner Ryan Ledson. To celebrate, Lucy and Ryan jetted off to Dublin with their little bundle of joy so the soap star could tuck into her first Guinness.

Posting a snap to her social media, Fallon could be seen sampling the stout, though she did not explain whether she enjoyed it or not. She wrote in the caption: "First time trying a Guinness at the age of 28 in Dublin...my dad will be proud x."

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