Strictly's Vito Coppola makes tear-jerking statement declaring his love

Strictly Come Dancing professional Vito Coppola has been separated from his beloved pet pooch Aaron as he tours the UK with his co-stars after spending Christmas in Italy

Dancer Vito Coppola has been inundated with messages from fans after he posted an emotional tribute declaring his love.

The Strictly Come Dancing professional is currently gearing up to tour the UK with several of his co-stars. Last week, Vito excitedly announced that he was reunited with his recent dance partner, Sarah Hadland. The last time viewers of the BBC One dance contest saw them together was before Christmas when they reached the final of the 2024 series, having been paired at the start of the competition in September.

During the sparkling finale, Sarah and Vito gave their all alongside other finalists before Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell were declared winners and seen lifting the coveted Glitterball trophy in emotional scenes. Like their co-stars, Sarah and Vito recently parted ways for the festive season but are now back together, preparing to perform across the UK in the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour 2025 along with other familiar faces from the class of 2024.

However, being back in the UK means Vito had to leave his family in Italy after spending Christmas together. It's clear that being away from his loved ones makes the dancer emotional, and he's taken to social media to pay tribute to his beloved pet dog. Vito shared a heartfelt message to his 390,000 followers alongside a picture of him and his beloved pet.

He wrote: "I know that we can stay together just once a year, but I can guarantee you that the quality of that time is priceless. I can say loud that I love you and that you give me so much love that is impossible to describe with words.", reports the Manchester Evening News.

He continued: "Animals are better than us and we should all learn from them! Love you Aaron. You will forever be my puppy." Among those responding was former Strictly contestant and animal enthusiast Gemma Atkinson who simply said: "Agree! " Sarah also reacted to the post with a series of heart-eyed emojis while Vito's previous dance partner Ellie Leach responded with a heart emoji.

Amid his excitement to tour the UK, Vito suffered a blow as he has been forced to miss some dates. He was due to kick off the tour in Birmingham on Friday but has been suffering with back pain. Vito will be replaced by professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin, who was partnered with Olympic hockey player Sam Quek for the 2024 series.

Speaking on This Morning, he said: “At the moment, I will be replaced by Nikita, and … he will dance with (Sarah), he will lift you around, because I’ve got a little injury. It’s like a dancer thing, we are kind of used to having this kind of pain, a little bit, in the body.” He added that it is a “lower back pain”, and he can walk and move around, but sharp movements can be tricky so he needs to take a “little rest”.

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