Who is Ellie Leach? Meet the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 contestant and Corrie star

Having spent the last two weeks at the top of the Strictly leaderboard, Ellie and Vito slipped down to second place behind Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin last weekend, after receiving 35 points for their impressive rumba.

The couple have improved week upon week and consistently wowed the judges so far, performing their fantastic American Smooth to Ain’t That a Kick in the Head in Week 7, which earned the duo a near-perfect score of 39.

Ellie and Vito also topped the leaderboard during Halloween Week with their incredible salsa to Murder on the Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, scoring 38 points.

Can they top their highest score of 39 this weekend with perfect 10s all round from the Strictly judges Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke?

We'll have to tune in to find out!

Ellie is competing on Strictly alongside the likes of Angela Rippon, Nigel Harman, Angela Scanlon and Annabel Croft.

She previously said that appearing on Strictly has been a longtime "dream" of hers, but after a strong debut, does she have what it takes to go all the way and lift that coveted Glitterball trophy?

In the meantime, you can read on for everything you need to know about Ellie Leach.

Who is Ellie Leach?

Age: 22

Job: Actor

Instagram: @ellielouiseleach

Twitter: @ellieLleach

Strictly partner: Vito Coppola

Ellie Leach is an actor best known for playing the role of Faye Windass on Coronation Street from 2011 until her exit from the soap earlier this year in April 2023 - with her final scenes airing this past May.

Having been in the soap since she was 10 years old, Leach has tackled a number of hard-hitting storylines, including Faye's pregnancy at age 13, a very complicated love life, a stint in prison and early menopause.

Her final major storyline involved reconnecting with the child she gave up, Miley, which led to her character's departure from the soap.

Now, Leach has left the soap in the hopes of pursuing other acting opportunities after being in Corrie for 12 years.

Ellie Leach's Strictly journey so far

Scoreboard

Week One: Jive (7+8+7+7) = 29

Week Two: Foxtrot (8+8+7+8) = 31

Week Three: Viennese waltz (8+9+8+8) = 33

Week Four: Samba (7+7+7+7) = 28

Week Five: Paso Doble (9+10+9+9) = 37

Week Six: Salsa (9+10+10+9) = 38

Week Seven: American Smooth (9+10+10+10) = 39

Week Eight: Rumba (8+9+9+9) = 35

What has Ellie Leach said about joining Strictly 2023?

Speaking about the exciting news of her Strictly Come Dancing confirmation, Leach said: "It still doesn't feel real that I’m going to be doing Strictly!! It's always been a dream of mine so I guess dreams really do come true!!!!"

During the Strictly launch show, Leach was paired with professional dancer Vito Coppola, something she says she is "so happy" about.

In an exclusive chat with RadioTimes.com, Ellie said she is "excited to do everything" when it comes to Strictly, as she has no dancing experience.

She said: "I'm just excited to kind of be thrown into all of the different dances. I think being able to learn something new on a new scale is amazing."

When does Strictly Come Dancing 2023 air?

The Strictly Come Dancing 2023 live shows air every Saturday evening, with the results show airing the following Sunday evening on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday 18th November at 6:40pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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