BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Vito Coppola says he 'walked away' as fans declare love in support over emotional past - suong

Vito Coppola has shared with fans how he 'walked away' from a dance coach early into his career, as fans supported him for telling them of his emotional past.

The professional dancer is best known, and much-loved, for being a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing having joined back in 2022.

In his first year on the show, Vito made it to the final alongside Fleur East, before he went on to win the competition alongside former Coronation Street star Ellie Leach in 2023. He then made the final again in 2024 with actress Sarah Hadland.

It has more recently been confirmed that Vito will be back in the ballroom later this year, when Strictly returns to screens with its 23rd series.

The BBC confirmed the line-up of pros for the 2025 run of the hit dance show and those returning alongside Vito are Katya Jones, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Neil Jones, and Nikita Kuzmin.

They're also joined by Dianne Buswell, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, and Michelle Tsiakkas, while two new pros will also be unveiled closer to the series launch.

Ahead of returning to Strictly, Vito is busy preparing to tour the country with Dianne Buswell in their own joint-headline tour this summer. But before then, the dance star has been seen returning to Italy and it seemingly got him thinking about his past.

Vito won Strictly in 2023 alongside Ellie Leach(Image: PA)

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday (May 13), the Italian star shared a video of him posing on the red carpet at the recent Bafta Television Awards and told his followers: "Good day, beautiful people!

"Today, I want to share a little story from my past. Back when I used to compete, I had a coach who was harsh with me every time I didn’t follow his instructions to the letter.

"The thing is, as many of you know, I’m a free spirit..spontaneous, transparent, and true to myself. That kind of personality doesn’t always sit well with people who want control."One day, that coach told me: 'If you just follow your instincts, you’re going to fail!' Those words were powerful and dangerous. But in that moment, I made a choice: I would never let someone else’s beliefs define my reality!"So I walked away, not out of weakness, but out of love and respect for myself. I didn’t know exactly where I was going or what I was doing, but I knew one thing: it felt right!"

Vito went on to share: "Today, I just want to say thank you to those who truly believe in me, love me, and support me every step of the way. I’m deeply grateful…it means more than you can imagine. Sharing my experience is my way of telling you: YOU MATTER. WE MATTER. EVERYONE MATTERS!"Never lose your smile, and always believe in yourself first. Most importantly, surround yourself with the right people, those who are real, genuine, and loyal. The kind of people with whom even a simple dinner of bread and water feels like a feast. That’s true wealth!"

He added: "Always stay true to yourself, follow your instincts and your heart…and know that you’re already a winner! And if anyone tries to hold you back? Show them what you’re made of! Choose kindness and love… and remember to smile! V."

And he was quickly flooded with support. @mmmyummystrawberries said: "I literally feel like standing up and applauding out loud reading that! Every word you said is so true. Always follow your gut, always stay true to yourself and do what's right for you. With you always."

@jt_taylor73 commented: "Well done @vitocoppola that must’ve been so hard! But look where you are now! Beautiful inside and out, smashing life." @caitlinwestiexoxo wrote: "We love you Vito!!"

@ms_lou_rob replied: "That’s such brilliant advice. Thank you @vitocoppola for just being you. Have a fantastic day." @maureenstephenson71 added: "Thank you for sharing your story you certainly haven't failed staying true to yourself is the best advice you can give, you are an a amazing person."