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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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"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."