BBC Strictly Come Dancing viewers 'convinced' as Ellie Leach left in tears minutes in and say they'll 'riot'
14.10.2023 - 21:15
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Strictly Come Dancing viewers have threatened to 'riot' as Ellie Leach was left in tears just minutes into week four of the competition. The former Coronation Street star was the first to take to the ballroom floor following the usual introductions on Saturday night (October 14).
Actress Ellie, who is famed for having played Faye Windass in the ITV soap for 12 years, looked fabulous as she opened the show in a sparkling and feather-hemmed pink dress as she performed a sexy samba to Copacabana by Barry Manilow alongside her partner Vito Coppola.
She shook her hip, twirled and dipped her way to a score of 28 but faced some criticism from the judges. Head judge Shirley Ballas said Leach had "mastered" the dance from the waist upwards but advised her to focus on her footwork.
READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing's Adam Thomas defended as he shares emotional personal text from his wife after tearful phone calls
READ MORE: Read more Strictly Come Dancing stories here
She then rounded off her remarks by saying: "What a way to open our show." Meanwhile, Motsi Mabuse noted the complexity of the routine but said she could see the "struggle" on the 22-year-old's face.
But as Ellie and Vito headed up to speak to co-host Claudia Winkleman alongside her fellow celebrities and the professional dancers, the former soap star was left in tears.
Asked how it was opening the show, Ellie said: "I was actually really nervous to open the show... I feel a little bit emotional, sorry," as she started to fight tears. She was quickly consoled by Claudia before turning to Italian dance partner Vito and saying: "I just feel like I've let you down a little bit. Sorry!"
Claudia insisted she hadn't let Vito down as he said: "No, my baby!" and pulled