Strictly Come Dancing finalists get sneak peak at the Glitterball Trophy as they prepare to face off for grand prize

The Stricty Come Dancing finalists were given a taste of this year's Glitterball Trophy ahead of Saturday's live show.

The remaining three couples compete one last time before the public chooses their winner.

After twelve weeks of competition, actor Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin, EastEnders stars Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell and former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach and Vita Coppola are the last remaining pairs.

The eliminated couples return for the finals before the winning couple lifts the Glitterball Trophy into the air.

Amanda Abbington will be the only star not to attend the finale after leaving the show.

Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola have reached the final after weeks of romance rumors

EastEnders actor Bobby Brazier and professional dancer Dianne Buswell are also battling it out for the trophy

West End star Layton Williams has reached the final with dancer Nikita Kuzmin

The actress, who worked with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice, has reportedly decided not to return, dashing hopes for a reunion and one last dance.

It was believed that heated arguments between the two were the reason for Amanda's shocking departure, which has led to many unanswered questions.

A source said The mirror it was “difficult” and disturbing for Giovanni, because he doesn't want people to see it “as a reflection on him.”

They added that although the pair sometimes 'clashed' Giovanni wishes her all the best.

Meanwhile, Ellie credited her dance partner and rumored love interest Vito with rediscovering her confidence after being dropped from Coronation Street and cheated on by her ex-boyfriend.

The 22-year-old soap actress, who is the bookmakers' favorite to win the Glitterball in Saturday night's final, admits she lacked confidence ahead of the series after her series of setbacks and was incredibly 'nervous' about dancing in front of millions of people. of viewers.

But Italian professional dancer Vito, 31, has given her new life and Ellie says she has now discovered an inner dance diva she never knew existed.

Ellie said: “At the start of the competition I didn't really have a lot of self-belief and confidence and that's something I've always really struggled with.

No return: Actress Amanda Abbington, who dramatically quit Strictly Come Dancing last month, is reportedly skipping the final and will not return

'Strictly has really helped me build on that and grow because obviously we're going live on Saturday nights, which is something I'm really not used to, and we're dancing in front of millions of people and doing something that's completely out of your comfort level. zone, so for me that really helped build my confidence.

'After week one I thought, this is the strangest experience ever and I can't believe I've just danced live on TV in front of millions of people, but as the weeks went by I thought, I'm starting to learn a new skill set and a lot more about myself and Vito believed in me from the beginning, so I thought, if Vito believes in me and trusts that I can do this dance, then maybe I should have more faith in myself.”

Ellie played Faye Windass in Coronation Street for 12 years, a role she got when she was nine, before she was cruelly axed last May.

The following month she divorced model boyfriend Reagan Pettman, with whom she had been in a relationship for five years, after it emerged that he cheated on her.

But the actress has managed to overcome her heartbreak by starring in Strictly and winning the hearts of the nation in the process.

She has also had an impact on partner Vito, as the pair have been dogged by romance rumors since the early weeks of the series.

Strictly's Ellie Leach has credited her dance partner and rumored love interest Vito Coppola with rediscovering her confidence after being axed from Corrie and cheated on by her ex

The soap actress admits she lacked confidence ahead of the series after her string of setbacks and was incredibly 'nervous' about dancing in front of millions of viewers

Ellie remained coy about the dating speculation, praising the pair's chemistry, however.

She said: 'Obviously we've been dancing together for three months, and we've been together every day. You really need a strong partnership to be able to rely on each other.

'Vito is also a great dancer for me. That's why he's a professional and I have to trust him here. It's all about him putting his trust in me because it's something I've never done before.

'To make the choreography so difficult, there has to be a lot of trust.'

Vito, who split from his ex-girlfriend and former celebrity partner on Italy's version of Strictly, pop star Arisa, in 2021, says there are “no words to describe” how much he enjoys being in her company.

He added: “I have trusted her from day one and I believe in her potential. We have had a very good relationship from the beginning, a 50 percent partnership.

'We're so busy all day with rehearsals… we have so many things to think about… choreography, lifts up and down, left right, and when we're done we have time to eat and have a little to nap. have the energy to continue rehearsing and after we go home, we make sure we eat and sleep because we have to be back the next day, so we are really so focused on the beautiful experience.

“Words cannot describe how much we enjoy this amazing experience every day, every rehearsal and second.”