Vito Coppola

Last updated
Vito Coppola
Born (1992-09-27) 27 September 1992 (age 32)
Eboli, Salerno, Italy
NationalityItalian
Occupations
  • Dancer
  • choreographer
Known for
Height1.84 m (6 ft 12 in)

Vito Coppola (born 27 September 1992) is an Italian dancer and choreographer. He is best known for appearing as a professional dancer on the 16th series of Italian dance competition Ballando con le Stelle (Dancing with the Stars) in 2021 and ultimately winning the competition with Arisa. Since 2022, he has served as a professional on Strictly Come Dancing , the British version of the show, from the 20th series onwards, winning in 2023 with his celebrity dance partner Ellie Leach. In 2024, Coppola won the 19th series of Celebrity MasterChef . [1]

Contents

Early life and competitive career

Coppola was born in Eboli, in Salerno, Italy on 27 September 1992. [2] [3] He has a younger brother, Jonathan. [4] Coppola began dancing at the age of 6 and later competed in national championships. [5] [6] [7] Coppola is a three-time World Championship finalist and a European Cup Winner. [8] He won numerous competitions at provincial, regional and inter-regional level, and went on to win the first Italian championship at the age of 10 in the Juveniles category, as well as being selected by FIDS to represent Italy at the Team Match in Mannheim, Germany. [9] Coppola also won the second Italian championship in the Combined 10 dances, passing with a merit into the higher category. [10]

Ballando con le Stelle

Prior to his appearances on competitive dance series, Coppola worked as a dancer on the Italian version of The Masked Singer . [11] [12] In 2021, Coppola joined the Rai 1 Italian dance television series Ballando con le Stelle as a professional for the 16th season. [13] [14] He was partnered with the singer and actress Arisa and the pair were crowned winners of the series. [15] [16] Coppola did not return for the following series, his departure alluding to him becoming a professional on the British version. [17] [18] [19]

SeriesPartnerPlaceAverage score
16 Arisa 1st

Series 16: with Arisa

Week no.Dance/songJudges' scoreTotalResult
ZazzaroniCaninoSmithLucarelliMariotto
1 Charleston 7776885 [a] No elimination
2Freestyle Veloce791010854 [b] Safe
3 Paso doble 77710940Safe
4 Tango 8998842Safe
5 Rumba 910991047Safe
6 Bachata Safe
7Freestyle Lento9910101073 [c] Safe
8 Cha-cha-cha Safe
Safe
10 Waltz 999101067 [d] Winners
  1. Arisa & Vito received 50 bonus points
  2. Arisa & Vito received 10 bonus points
  3. Arisa & Vito received 25 bonus points
  4. Arisa & Vito received 20 bonus points

Strictly Come Dancing

In July 2022, Coppola was announced to be joining the 20th series of Strictly Come Dancing as one of the professionals. [20] Joining alongside Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley and Michelle Tsiakkas, he said upon his appointment as a professional on the show, "[He was] really excited to become part of this family, adding that [He could not] wait to start this new adventure and to challenge [himself]. Strictly sto arrivando!". [21] [22] For his first series, he was paired with singer-songwriter and presenter Fleur East. [23] [24] [25] [26] Together they received the first perfect score of the series. [27] Coppola reached the final with East and the couple finished as runners-up behind Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał, alongside Helen Skelton and Gorka Márquez, and Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu. [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] Coppola returned for the 21st series. [33] [34] He was paired with former Coronation Street actress Ellie Leach, [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] and the two of them eventually went on to win the series. [41]

In April 2024, Coppola headlined a charity dance show alongside his fellow Strictly Come Dancing professional Luba Mushtuk, with the profits going to Macmillan Cancer Support. [42] [43]

SeriesPartnerPlaceAverage score
20 Fleur East 2nd35.5
21 Ellie Leach 1st35.8
22 Sarah Hadland 2nd35.3

Highest and lowest scoring per dance

Series 20: with Fleur East

Week no.Dance/songJudges' scoreTotalResult
HorwoodMabuseBallasDu Beke
1 Cha-cha-cha / "Let's Get Loud"777829No elimination
2 Viennese waltz / "Glimpse of Us"786728Safe
3 American Smooth / "Part of Your World"687829Bottom two
4 Argentine tango / "Paint It, Black"91091038Safe
5 Jive / "Waterloo"789832Safe
6 Salsa / "Break My Soul"888832Bottom two
7 Waltz / "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"998935Safe
8 Samba / "Hot"910101039Safe
9 Couple's Choice / "Jumpin', Jumpin' "/"Independent Women Part I"/"Lose My Breath"1010101040Safe
10 Rumba / "Too Lost In You"899935Bottom two
11 Quickstep / "I Got Rhythm"91091038Safe
12 Paso doble / "The Time Is Now"8981035Bottom two
Charleston / "Tu vuò fà l'americano"910101039
13Samba / "Hot"1010101040Runner-up
Showdance / "Find Me"910101039
Couple's Choice / "Jumpin', Jumpin'"/"Independent Women Part I"/"Lose My Breath"1010101040

Series 21: with Ellie Leach

Week no.Dance/songJudges' scoreTotalResult
HorwoodMabuseBallasDu Beke
1 Jive / "Can't Tame Her"787729No elimination
2 Foxtrot / "Perfect"887831Safe
3 Viennese waltz / "Waiting on a Miracle"898833Safe
4 Samba / "Copacabana"777728Safe
5 Paso doble / "Insomnia"9109937Safe
6 Salsa / "Murder on the Dancefloor"91010938Safe
7 American Smooth / "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"910101039Safe
8 Rumba / "True Colors"899935Safe
9 Charleston / "Love Machine"910101039Safe
10 Argentine tango / "Bills"91010938Safe
11 Quickstep / "Belle"999936No elimination
12 Cha-cha-cha / "Mambo Italiano"
Couple's Choice / "Blow Your Mind" & "Physical"
9
9
10
9
9
10
9
10
37
38
Safe
13 Paso doble / "Insomnia"
Showdance / "On the Floor" & "Dance Again"
American Smooth / "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"
9
9
10
10
9
10
10
9
10
10
9
10
39
36
40
Winners

Series 22: with Sarah Hadland

Week no.Dance/songJudges' scoreTotalResult
HorwoodMabuseBallasDu Beke
1 Quickstep / "9 to 5"887730No elimination
2 Paso Doble / "Freed from Desire"888832Safe
3 Viennese waltz / "Hedwig's Theme"898833Safe
4 Foxtrot / "Birds of a Feather"677727Safe
5 Samba / "Do It, Do It Again"888832Safe
6 Argentine tango / "Ready or Not"91091038Safe
7 Cha-cha-cha / "Like a Prayer"9991037Safe
8 American Smooth / "Proud"888933Safe
9Couple's Choice / "Padam Padam"/"Can't Get You Out of My Head"910101039Safe
10 Rumba / "Chains"
Samba-thon / "Samba" & "La Vida Es Un Carnaval"
8
Awarded
8
4
10
extra
10
points
36
40
Safe
11 Charleston / "Popular"99101038Safe
12 Tango / "Big Love"
Jive / "I'm So Excited"
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
36
36
Safe
13 American Smooth / "Proud"
Showdance / "Cabaret"
Cha-cha-cha / "Like a Prayer"
9
9
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
39
39
40
Runner-up

Personal life

Coppola is multi-lingual and is fluent in English, Russian and Spanish, as well as his native language Italian. [44] [45]

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