Coronation Street star and new Strictly Come Dancing contestant is being lined up for a role on BBC’s Waterloo Road, according to TV insiders.
Ellie Leach, from Bury, who played Faye Windass on the ITV soap, is among the famous faces taking to the floor for the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing this month.
And reports are suggesting she could be staying on the BBC for the foreseeable future as the broadcaster lines her up for a role in Waterloo Road once Strictly is finished.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Ellie was hugely popular when she appeared on Weatherfield’s cobbles as Faye Windass and there’s every chance she’ll be a bigger hit when she gets on the dance floor.
"When the glitter falls on the upcoming series of Strictly, they want to tap into her mass appeal and bring that over to Waterloo Road.
"They don’t want to leave it too late and have another show snap her up."
Ellie made her debut on Corrie as a child star back in 2011 when she was nine years old but left in May when her character was seen leaving Weatherfield and moving to Slough.
This season of Strictly already features one star of Waterloo Road - Adam Thomas - who was previously a castmember on ITV soap Emmerdale.
Other celebrities taking part in the new series of the dancing show include EastEnders star Nigel Harman, TV legend Les Dennis, Bad Education actor Layton Williams, Sherlock actress Amanda Abbington and television presenter Angela Rippon - who at the age of 78 becomes the show's oldest-ever contestant.
It's believed the new series will return to TV on September 23.
After her casting on Strictly was revealed Ellie called it the role of a lifetime. During an appearance on BBC Breakfast, she gushed: "It still doesn’t feel real that I’m going to be doing Strictly! It’s always been a dream of mine so I guess dreams really do come true!"
Strictly Come Dancing Contestants 2023 - see the full line-up
- Sherlock and Mr Selfridge actress Amanda Abbington
- Former newsreader Angela Rippon
- Stage and screen star Layton Williams
- Channel 4 journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy
- Comedian Eddie Kadi
- Irish presenter Angela Scanlon
- Love Island’s Zara McDermott
- Emmerdale and Waterloo Road actor Adam Thomas
- BBC radio presenter Nikita Kanda
- Coronation Street's Ellie Leach
- Paralympic Champion Jody Cundy CBE
- Eastenders star Bobby Brazier
- Casualty star Nigel Harman
- British tennis player Annabel Croft
- Former Family Fortunes host and Coronation Street actor Les Dennis
When does Strictly Come Dancing 2023 start?
Although there’s been a lot of build-up to the entertainment show, no official date for Strictly returning to our TV screens has been reported yet.
The BBC says that it will announce the exact date of the launch show in due course.
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