Claudia Winkleman admits ‘I’m in love with the man’ as she gives rare take on BBC Strictly star
Strictly Come Dancing is about to enter its quarter-final stage of the competition, with both dancers and celebrities all hoping not to fall at one of the final hurdles.
Strictly staples Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly gave a rare insight into their own thoughts on the series, with Winkleman admitting she’s “in love” with one of the dancers.
The presenters appeared on Wednesday’s It Takes Two, where they discussed the remaining couples.
As host Janette Manrara turned the group’s attention towards Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, she pointed out how the couple “have been really strong from the get-go.”
“They are so dynamic as a partnership,” Daly, 55, commented.
“Sarah throws herself in, and constantly takes my breath away. He is a professional dancer, she’s an actor – they are used to hard work and putting the hours in and the compliment each other.”
Detailing how the group from the current series are always having a laugh together, Winkleman, 52, noted the pair always have fun and “don’t take it too seriously.”
“Vito is quite possibly about to go into his third final in a row,” Manrara highlighted.
“He is magic,” Winkleman beamed, continuing to share her feelings on the Italian dancer, adding: “All I want to do is be in his world.
“I like it when he explains anything to me. He once described how he made a risotto – I’m in love with the man.”
“You want to be in his orbit,” she went on. “He is a stickler for detail.
“He is listening to what the judges are saying about other couples and it’s like, ‘they liked that, noted.’ He incorporates it into his routine and he pushes his partner, and he believes in them.”
She also described Coppola as “a powerhouse of positivity”.
The 32-year-old choreographer won the 2023 series alongside Coronation Street star Ellie Leach, and it seems he has his eyes on the prize once again.
He and Hadland have enjoyed a successful run on the current series, frequently topping the leaderboards.
While they’re also a hit with viewers, last weekend saw a “favouritism” row breaking out over the actress when her dance song was revealed ahead of the weekend’s live show.
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For Musicals Week, the couple performed a Charleston to Popular from Wicked.
The beloved show, telling an alternative story to The Wizard of Oz, first graced stages in 2003, but the hugely-anticipated film adaptation starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo hit screens just days ago.
As a result, a new wave of hype for the musical has taken hold of the nation, with the film set to become one of the biggest of the year.
Because of this, Strictly viewers have argued Hadland, 53, has an unfair advantage, with some going on to argue the former Miranda star is frequently given well-known songs to perform to as a result of “favouritism”.