Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola win Strictly 2023

Former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach has won Strictly Come Dancing.

Leach won the glitterball trophy with her professional dance partner Vito Coppola in tonight’s (16th December) live final, beating Bobby Brazier & Dianne Buswell and Layton Williams & Nikita Kuzmin.

Throughout the final, the finalists performed three times: a judges’ pick, their favourite routine, and a no-holds-barred show dance.

Ellie and Vito performed their Paso Doble to Insomnia for the judges, and a show dance set to a Jennifer Lopez Megamix.

Their own pick was their American Smooth to Ain’t That A Kick In The Head.

Bobby and Dianne performed their Samba to Young Hearts Run Free for the judges. A show dance to La LaLand Medley followed, and the couple then revisited their Couple’s Choice to This Woman’s Work.

The judges asked to see Layton and Nikita’s Quickstep to Puttin’ On The Ritz again. Their show dance was to Friend Like Me by Ne-Yo, and they chose to perform their Argentine Tango to Tattoo again.

The judges awarded Williams and Kuzmin 119 points, Brazier and Buswell 117 points, and Leach and Copola 115 points, but it was the public who ultimately decided who would take home the glitterball trophy.

Of her victory, Ellie said:

“I actually genuinely cannot believe this! It’s the first time I’ve seen him [Vito] cry.”

Coppola called the win “the cherry on the cake”, saying of Ellie, “You are amazing, I’m so proud”.

Saturday’s final show also featured a performance from Cher with DJ Play A Christmas Song.