Even though Strictly professional Vito Coppola has been linked to his celebrity dance partner Ellie Leach, on Saturday the dancer declared his 'love' for a different woman.
Taking to his Instagram Stories, the dancer shared a beautiful photo alongside a woman named Julia, with the pair almost sharing a kiss as they posed in front of a pool. Vito looked very dapper in a maroon suit with a gold chain, while Julia looked so elegant in a cream coat and a floral necktie, with a couple of earrings on her right ear.
Vito wrote his caption in Italian, but it loosely translates to: "Happy birthday puppy. Love you [heart emoji]." Vito then added: "Get your passport and I'll wait for you in London."
It is unclear whether Julia is a close friend of the Italian-born pro or his partner, but the photo suggests a close bond between the duo.
Vito has previously dated Italian popstar Arisa, who he won the 16th series of Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Strictly, with. The couple parted ways in 2022 before he moved to the United Kingdom with the pair ending their relationship after reportedly hitting a "rocky patch".
Vito told Italian publication Mio that they remained on "good terms" and still had a "friendly bond" following their split.
The dancer has since been linked to his recent celebrity partner, Ellie Leach, who he lifted the Glitterball Trophy with at the end of last year's Strictly. The pair regularly played down reports of a romance blossoming between them, even as recently as last month when they appeared on This Morning.
Insisting they are just friends, both the pair revealed they were getting matching tattoos of an aubergine and a bee. "We have a great, great relationship," the professional dancer revealed whilst putting his arm around Ellie.
Ellie has since been linked to her Strictly co-star, Bobby Brazier, with the pair reportedly getting close during their time on the Live Tour.
According to various publications, the actors have grown closer and have gone on "secret dates". Fellow Strictly dancer Nikita Kuzmin shared a photo of his co-stars enjoying a dinner, and while Ellie and Layton Williams took centre stage, Bobby could be seen with his arm wrapped around the back of Ellie's chair.
Both Ellie and Bobby made an appearance at the TV Choice Awards earlier this month, where Bobby was quizzed about his possible romance with the 22-year-old.
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The EastEnders star replied: "Ellie is a sweetheart, look at her… she's beautiful, she's amazing, she's good at what she does. She's a good dancer. She is a lovely lovely friend of mine." Asked whether there was potential for love to blossom, Bobby cryptically said: "I don't know… you'll have to see what she says."