Finally, Strictly Come Dancing season is officially upon us, and no one was more ready for it than Italian pro dancer, Vito Coppola, 33.
Here, the star – who won the Glitterball with actress Ellie Leach in 2023 after joining the show in 2022 – tells us how the hosting shake-up marks a “new chapter” for the much-loved competition, and opens up about what it’s been like behind-the-scenes as he and the gang prepared for the BBC show’s sparkly return…
Hi Vito. You must be very excited that Strictly is back…
It’s a beautiful period at this time of the year – I’m like an excited puppy! We are busy with all the dancing.
We started to rehearse in July with all the professionals. There are lots of exciting dances this year, and we have the five new pros who are so sweet. I said, “Guys, don’t worry, come under my wing, I’m always going to give you the best advice.” They’re all quite young. Lots of new people coming in, and we’re all very excited.
Did you know any of the new pro dancers previously?
I did know Cristian [Priori], the other Italian guy. We used to dance together in competitions during our teens and early twenties. So it was really nice to see him again because we haven’t seen each other since I came to the UK. All the others, I’ve just met them recently.
Have you spoken to former hosts Tess [Daly] and Claudia [Winkleman] ahead of the new series?
No, no. I haven’t spoken with them since the last series. But of course, I’m going to miss them. They are just amazing. I used to give a little wink to Claudia in between takes and I was like, “Can you pass me a little snack or something?” So now, I need to find my new snack buddy.
What do you think of the new hosts? How do you think Johannes [Radebe] will do going from pro to presenter?
With these new hosts, we are opening up a new chapter. I told Johannes, who I love so much, “I cannot wait to see you shine as you are and also I cannot wait to see all your beautiful outfits.” And Emma [Willis] is a pure joy, a ray of sunshine.
I loved her before, but now that I’ve met her in person, I know how lovely she really is. She sometimes comes and watches us while we’re rehearsing. She says hello to us and is so interested in it and I love that. I also had a big laugh with Josh [Widdicombe] the other day – I told him the last time I saw him was dressed as a penguin during the Christmas special. We have lots of fun, and that’s the most important thing.
Another change this year was the celebs finding out who their partners were during the launch show. How did you feel about that?
It’s exciting! Yes, when we got paired in previous years, we [found out] literally a few days before the launch show. We now have this beautiful day where we are all together, we meet the pros, we meet the celebrities and we all dance with everyone. You actually don’t know who could be your partner – so we discovered it together!
Dancing is not your only passion, as we saw when you won Celebrity MasterChef in 2024. Are you doing anything with your cooking skills?
Dancing is my passion, but food is and always will be the love of my life. I’m now working with [cake brand] Balconi, which I ate at home in Italy with my brother as a child. It’s really come full-circle. As an Italian, I just love the Italian quality. It’s the best.
While you love food, you’ve spoken very bravely about your struggles with food and body image when you were younger…
We have moments where we are down, and after we’re up again. I was in a certain environment, and I thought that maybe I didn’t tick the box of a certain criteria, and then I had to question myself. At that time, especially growing up in Salerno, in the south of Italy, there’s a mentality of “men and boys need to be strong”, so you’re not allowed to show a certain kind of weakness.
My mum knew everything and helped me through it. There is no light without dark, so I’m grateful for these moments because I appreciate my life today more, as well as my relationship with food.
And what are your hopes and dreams for the future?
Honestly? I think my goal in life is just to make people around me feel loved and happy. On Sundays after church, I go shopping at the supermarket and divide it into bags to give to a few people who don’t have a home to go to. I want to help people. I’d also love to take my younger brother Jonathan on a trip.
We always spoke about wanting to go on a safari since we were kids. But I’m happy with simple things like taking my grandparents to the beach. I’m grateful for the life I have. I’m a happy person, so I don’t need anything more. Everything else that comes is a big plus.
Vito Coppola has teamed up with the irresistibly Italian Balconi cake brand, available in all major retailers now (RRP from £1.75). For more, see www.balconiuk.com or @balconi_uk on Instagram.
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