Strictly Come Dancing Vito Coppola has seemingly struck up a great bond with his partner Ellie Leach - who is believed to be "smitten" with her companion on the BBC show.

With the rumour mill now in a complete spin due to the Italian-native's close-knit bond with Coronation Street beauty Ellie - with the pair speculated to possibly be dating by fans after he referred to her as "my baby".

Speculation about the pair's rumoured romance is much talked about but at present, Vito has neither confirmed nor denied a relationship with the ITV actress but fans would agree that sparks have certainly flown between the pair - especially on the dance floor.

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With much hype about Vito and Ellie's possible romance, Daily Star decided to delve into the Naples-born's relationship history which includes a "cosy" bus tour with Helen Skelton and an affair with a co-star on the Italian version of Strictly.

Getting cosy with Helen Skelton

Last year, newly single mum-of-three Helen and Vito were rumoured to have "bonded" with one another after it was suggested they'd got close during the Strictly tour - with particular emphasis about them spending time on the bus together.

Helen was launched into the single world last year after her seven year marriage to Richie Myler came to end ended, just months after she'd birthed her third child, Elsie.

Following, The Countryfile star's very public split, rumours began to swirl that she'd been cosy with the handsome Italian on the tour bus and during dinners with the entire Strictly clan too.

At the time a source spilled to the Mirror: "Helen and Vito 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 spent a lot of time chatting on the quiet bus and getting to know each other. They have a lot in common – a love of the outdoors, for example.

“Between shows they also spent time together one-on-one, like going for coffee, just the two of them. “Then, if the whole group went for dinner, they would sit together, deep in conversation."

In spite of speculation neither Helen or Vito did confirm if there had ever been romance, in fact it was quite the opposite from Helen who shut down rumours on her then BBC radio show.

Vito has an affair with Strictly co-star

Before Vito landed here in the UK, he was already a star in his own right back in Italy, where he had been a professional dancer on their own version of the BBC favourite.

During the 2021 series, Vito's romance blossomed with Arisa - an Italian singer. After many claims were made that the pair were an item they apparently came clean confessing they were in a relationship.

The lovey-dovey phase didn't last long as reports surfaced in Italy that suggest the pair had hit a "rocky patch" which led to their relationship breakdown that is supposedly on "good terms" and still "friendly".

Back in 2021, Vito was said to have grown close to his celebrity dance partner Arisa - an Italian singer, born Rosalba Pippa. The pair finally confirmed they were dating after the show ended and were together for a year. However, according to recent reports in Italy, they split after facing a “rocky patch”.

Vito confirmed their breakup - which was said to be on “good terms” - to a local outlet. He said: “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.”

Many believed that Arisa had referenced her romance with Vito in an Instagram post prior to the release of her hit single Tu Mi Perdición in 2022. She captioned at the time: “My heart went through a very hard time for the first time in my life, I shed many tears and fought with the obsession of an idea that stole my smile for months.

"A circular thought, made up of sleepless nights, as if I had a strange fever that took away my hunger and desire for anything. I'm better now. I understood that I had never felt true love before and I discovered that I was able to give so much. I don't care about the outcome. I'm proud of myself and would do it again a thousand times."

Vito's 'baby' Ellie Leach

Ellie and Vito have been encompassed by romance speculation from the get go, with the pairs undeniable chemistry showcasing a unique and growing bond that can't be matched by other stars on this years show.

The Coronation Street actress and the Naples-born dancer have already been tipped to take home the glitterball trophy by bookies as they storm the charts and blow away the judges each week with their captivating eye-contact and sizzling moves.

Rumours were beyond swirling after Vito referred to Ellie as "my baby" during an Instagram post which then saw the handsome professional kiss her twice on her cheek - to some this may have been celebratory as they'd secured themselves a place on the programme for the following week but for other viewers this was a for sure sign they were than just co-stars.

Neither Vito nor Ellie have commented further on speculation that they are dating, leading further detectives to speculate about their budding bond, especially as the soap star also recently found herself single too.

Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One at 6.40pm on Saturday

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