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Strictly winner Ellie Leach's ex dismisses Bobby Brazier romance
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Strictly winner Ellie Leach's ex dismisses Bobby Brazier romance
Strictly winner Ellie Leach wearing red dress with long curly hair© Instagram

Strictly winner Ellie Leach's ex breaks silence about Bobby Brazier romance

The Coronation Street actress is thought to be dating her Strictly Come Dancing Live! co-star Bobby  

Kate Thomas
Lifestyle Managing Editor
Updated: January 28, 2024
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Strictly winner Ellie Leach's ex has weighed in about her reported new romance with Bobby Brazier in a tell-all interview.

The Coronation Street actress was devastated when boyfriend of five years Reagan Pettman "broke her heart" by kissing another girl behind her back – but it seems Ellie's ex has had a change of heart, revealing he "misses" her as speculation mounts about her blossoming bond with her Strictly Come Dancing Live! co-star, Bobby.

Strictly winner Ellie Leach with ex boyfriend Reagan Pettman wearing bridesmaid dress© Instagram
Ellie Leach's ex Reagan Pettman wants her back - and is taking Bobby Brazier romance reports "with a pinch of salt"

Reagan told The Sun on Sunday: "I hurt her and broke her heart. I’m not proud of it. It sounds cliché but I was really drunk and it all happened at once. I knew what I had done was wrong and instantly regretted it.

"I want to rebuild the trust again and for her to be back in my life. But if she’s happy with Bobby, then I am happy for her. But I really miss her."

Ellie, 22, was blindsided when Reagan confessed his infidelity last March, five months after his indiscretion occurred on a night out.

Strictly tour rehearsals featuring Ellie Leach and Bobby Brazier © Instagram
Ellie (bottom right) and Bobby Brazier (top left) are said to have grown close while rehearsing for the Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour

It has been widely reported that Ellie and Bobby have grown closer while rehearsing for the Strictly tour and have gone on "secret dates". 

While the pair are yet to comment, they have been pictured enjoying a cheeky Nando's together, cuddling up backstage, and with Bobby's arm draped over the back of Ellie's chair during a break from rehearsals.

Dianne with Bobby Brazier in gold outfits© Instagram
Ellie's ex said he would be happy for her if she was genuinely with Bobby, however (Bobby pictured with Dianne Buswell)

Reagan still fancies his chances, however, and says he's taking claims Ellie is loved up with Bobby, 20, "with a pinch of salt".

As for Ellie, it seems unlikely she would give Regan a second chance since she previously admitted she signed up to Strictly to move on from her heartbreak.

She told The Sunday Mirror newspaper last year: "Being cheated on was upsetting, but now’s the perfect time to put my all into Strictly and give that 500 percent.

Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola during a photocall for the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour at the Utilita Arena Birmingham, in Birmingham.© Jacob King - PA Images
Ellie and her dance partner Vito Coppola have also been linked in the past

HELLO! has contacted Ellie's representatives for comment.

Ellie and Bobby wouldn't be the first couple to find love on the Strictly tour: former contestants Molly Rainford and Tyler West struck up a romance on last year's tour while Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez also found love on the road.

Corrie favourite Ellie, famed for playing Faye Windass on the ITV soap, was previously linked to her dancer partner Vito Coppola.

WATCH: Ellie reveals she's fallen in love with dancing

The pair, whose special bond led them to victory last year, are definitely just friends. Vito recently set the record straight, telling The Mirror: "We have a great relationship and honestly when you just find people, not just me and Ellie but their family which I love.

EXCLUSIVE: Strictly stars reveal how the show has changed them as we join them at tour rehearsals 

"You just find these people that you think are going to stay in my life forever, in each others lives forever, and all the family and the dogs."

Strictly Come Dating: couples who met on the dancefloor

As well as Gemma and Gorka, there are several other loved-up couples who met during their time on Strictly…

  • Janette Manrara and Aljaz Škorjanec met on Strictly in 2010, before marrying in 2017 and welcoming a baby, Lyra, in 2023.
  • Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev met during the 2013 series. They married in 2019 and have two children together.
  • Dianne Buswell and Joe Sugg fell in love while competing in 2018. They live together in Brighton.
  • Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton met in 2018 and welcomed a baby girl, Minnie, in 2023.
  • Max George and Maisie Smith shared their Strictly experience together in 2020, but didn't announce their relationship until 2022.
  • Tyler West and Molly Rainford starred in the 2022 series together and have been going strong ever since!
  • Kai Widdrington and Nadiya Bychkova are both professionals on the show, and began dating in 2022.
  • Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen were partnered together on the show in 2013, confirming their romance in 2014. They share a daughter together, Mila, who was born in 2018.

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