Helen Skelton 'grows close' to Vito Coppola after 'bonding' on Strictly ...
Helen Skelton has seemingly made some new friends while on the road with the Strictly Come Dancing tour – and has taken a liking to some more than others.
It has been reported the TV presenter became extremely friendly with professional dancer Vito Coppola and that the pair enjoyed time alone together away from the rest of the cast.
Sources have said the duo ‘bonded’ after spending time getting to know each other better on the show tour bus as it travelled across the UK’s cities.
The 39-year-old mother of three competed in last year’s final with her dancing partner Gorka Marquez.
She has been going it alone since splitting up with her rugby player husband Richie Myler, 32, months before she started on the 2022 season of BBC’s Strictly.
Catching the attention of others on the tour, her newfound closeness with Fleur East’s former dance partner Vito is said to be turning heads.
A source told The Mirror: ‘Helen and Vito were good friends during Strictly, but really bonded on tour.
‘There were two buses for the cast – the party bus and the quiet bus.
‘They spent a lot of time chatting on the quiet bus and getting to know each other. They have a lot in common – a love of the outdoors, for example.
‘Between shows they also spent time together one-on-one, like going for coffee, just the two of them.
‘Then, if the whole group went for dinner, they would sit together, deep in conversation.’
Despite drawing eyes, it appeared the duo wanted to keep their budding entanglement to themselves.
‘If anyone pulled out a phone and started filming, Helen would move away from Vito. She didn’t want to be captured in the background,’ the insider added.
The star’s marriage to Leeds Rhinos scrum-half Richie lasted eight years and came to an end last year, not long after the pair welcomed their third child together, Elsie.
Helen’s former husband then started a new relationship with Stephanie Thirkhill, 32, with whom he is now expecting a baby.
New to the line-up, Vito joined the ballroom competition show last year and quickly impressed in jaw-dropping routines with the likes of fellow dancer and pro-Nadiya Bychkova.
Metro.co.uk contacted Helen and Vito’s reps for comment.
Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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