Ellie Leach Strictly Come Dancing 2023: Former Coronation Street actress to star alongside Zara McDermott

The latest series of BBC One dance show Strictly Come Dancing is just around the corner, with anticipation continuing to grow. The show is back after its 20th season in 2022.

Recently, the start date for the show was confirmed with fans getting to see the show air for the first time in 2023 on Saturday, September 16.

The average age for the cast this year is 42, the highest for many years and almost as high as the highest year which was 45 in 2010. One of the younger contestants is actress Ellie Leach, who is 22.

Ellie is best known for her role in ITV soap Coronation Street, in which she played the subdued Faye Windass. The 22-year-old held the role for 12 years from 2011 before leaving in a sad storyline in 2023.

However, her character was not killed off so it is possible that one day she could return to the cobbles. Her connection to the show runs deep, and she is a cousin of Brooke Vincent, who played Sophie Webster in Coronation Street between 2004 and 2019.

During her time on the soap, Ellie was a largely peripheral character but was still trusted with some major storylines such as teenage pregnancy, early menopause, blackmailed into having sex and being in prison.