BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Vito Coppola supports axed star as he says 'I love and miss you'

Vito Coppola said he 'loves and misses' his axed Strictly Come Dancing co-star as they made a vow to return to performing. The Italian dancer is currently competing in the BBC One dance contest with actress Sarah Hadland.

The pair returned to training this week after it was confirmed they'd made it through to week nine of Strictly's 20th-anniversary series which will take place this Saturday (November 16) and will see the show relocated to Blackpool for its annual special from the Tower Ballroom.

Last Saturday night (September 9), Vito and Sarah performed the American Smooth to Proud by Heather Small, a song which Sarah's character often sang in the hit BBC comedy show, Miranda.

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They were awarded a very respectable 33 out of a possible 40 points by the judges, who appeared to have mixed opinions with Craig Revel Horwood criticising Hadland’s hand positions and Shirley Ballas asking her to focus on "neater, smaller details".

But away from his own run in the hit dance show this year, Vito has seemingly been missing his former co-star Graziano Di Prima. The dancer was due to return for Strictly's 2024 series but shortly after the professional dancer line-up was announced in June, it was confirmed by the BBC that Graziano would no longer be returning to the ballroom with him saying he "deeply regretted" the events that led to his exit.

A BBC spokesperson previously said at the time: "We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate."

Four months on from his last social media post in July, Graziano has returned to social media with a dramatic video in which he could be seen walking across a bridge at night while clips of his early dancing career as a youngster flashed across the screen. He was then seen dancing under the night sky with his wife Giada Lini, a professional dancer on Ballando con le Stelle, the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars.

Alongside the post, Graziano wrote: "Dance has always been the centre of my life, my greatest passion, the path I chose and dedicated years of study, sacrifice, and love to. After a period of reflection, I feel stronger than ever and eager to return to what I love most: dancing.

"The future is a whole world of new open windows, ready to welcome new dreams and new challenges, and I’m excited to continue this journey with even more determination and inspiration. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who is always there for me."

He added: "I’m thrilled to dance again with the same enthusiasm and dedication as always. See you soon, whether on stage or through new projects that I will be very excited to share with you."

Strictly star Vito Coppola was quick to show his support, writing in the comments section: "Friend of mine. This video has moved me... tears of joy that prove how much I love you. I miss you. One step at a time my friend... Always surround yourself with people who love you and who, in one way or another, contribute to enrich your life with love, joy, smiles and lots of happiness. I love you."

Vito's Strictly co-star Nancy Xu also responded to the post, sharing a string of purple love heart emojis while Graziano's former celebrity dance partner, actress Chizzy Akudolu added: "Loving you Graz." The post was also liked by former Strictly winner Stacey Dooley.