WILLOW Wood Hospice patron Ellie Leach blew the competition off the dancefloor to be crowned a worthy winner of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The 22-year-old actress from Tameside emerged victorious in the youngest-ever final line-up on Saturday night to lift the glitter ball trophy, ahead of actors Bobby Brazier, 20, and Layton Williams, 29.
Ellie, who was the bookmakers’ favourite to win, performed three dances with partner Vito Coppola – one chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.
The four judges gave advisory scores but the final decision was taken by the public through a vote, which Ellie topped after 12 weeks of tangos, salsas and foxtrots.
“I genuinely cannot believe this,” Ellie said on BBC One in the aftermath of being announced as the 21st winner of the show.
“For once, he [Vito] is crying more than me,” she said. She turned to her dance partner and said: “This is for you.”
Ellie, a former pupil of Fairfield High School For Girls in Droylsden and Aldwyn Primary School in Audenshaw, is best known for her 12 years playing Faye Windass on ITV soap Coronation Street.
Her family, friends and ex-Corrie co-stars cheered her on from Ellie’s hometown pub The Snipe in Audenshaw on the night and celebrated her success.
Ellie has described her experience on Strictly as “life-changing” and totally different to filming scenes on the famous Corrie cobbles.
Her exhilarating and versatile performances wowed the judges and audiences both in the studio and at home throughout.
In the early weeks of the competition, back in October, Ellie agreed to become Willow Wood’s youngest ever patron. She was already a friend of the Hospice, where her grandad sadly died.
Everyone at Willow Wood congratulates Ellie on her achievement and cannot wait to welcome her back at the Hospice as a Strictly champion.