Bobby Brazier and Ellie Leach appear to confirm their romance on red carpet

Are Bobby Brazier and Ellie Leach confirming their romance on the red carpet this week?

Strictly Come Dancing's former competitors got everyone talking with their first public appearance together.

Once rivals on Strictly Come Dancing, they have become really good friends since the BBC dancing show wrapped up in December last year. In fact, the pair became inseparable on the Strictly Come Dancing live tour, getting everyone wondering: are they dating?

Many romances have blossomed out of Strictly Come Dancing from Kevin Clifton and Stacey Dooley to Dianne Buswell and Joe Sugg, as well as Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez. Relationship experts have previously looked at why falling in love is always going to happen on Strictly.

During his time on Strictly, Brazier cheekily said he was falling in love with his partner Buswell. Meanwhile, Leach was rumoured to be dating her partner Vito Coppola. On the show, they had competed against each other in the final - which saw Leach lift the Glitter Ball trophy. But now speculation is rife that Leach and Brazier are a couple after their time on tour together.

On Wednesday, the Strictly stars Brazier and Leach making their first public appearance together where they were seen having fantastic fun. The EastEnders actor put his arm around her as they smiled for the cameras. The Strictly duo were matching in black when they attended the Hadestown play press night at the Lyric Theatre in London.

Why do people fall in love on Strictly?

Dating expert for Ourtime, Kate Taylor, previously shed some light on why Strictly makes people fall in love. This is also why people on the show become such good friends.

She explained: "The Strictly teams would not be falling in love so often if the show was a Lego-building competition. When we embrace someone (like during a dance), our body starts releasing oxytocin, a super-strong bonding hormone. In my book Not Tonight Mr Right, I call oxytocin the 'Fatal Attraction' hormone, because its effect can be so intense.

"Oxytocin makes us feel affectionate and nurturing and also builds feelings of trust. Its effect can also take a long time to wear off, meaning the connection will last long after the show has finished. In your own life, build oxytocin on dates by holding hands, sitting close to each other, or just snuggling up."

What Ellie Leach and Bobby Brazier said about romance

So what have Leach and Brazier actually said about the possibility of being a couple? They have been coy about whether they are actually dating. Asked whether they were more than friends, Brazier cheekily left it open as he told The Sun: "I don’t know… You’ll have to see what she says."

Adoringly, the actor praised her for being "beautiful" and "amazing". He added: "Ellie is a sweetheart, look at her… She’s beautiful, she’s amazing, she’s good at what she does. She’s a good dancer. She is a lovely lovely friend of mine."

Brazier also revealed behind the scenes of the Strictly tour he had the opportunity to meet Leach's parents who he praised for being "brilliant".

Leach sweetly opened up about how they really got time to bond together on the tour. She said: "We’re all on tour together, it’s been really nice to actually spend time with each other. During the show, you’re with your partner all the time really and you don’t really get to see any of the other pros or the celebrities. So on tour we have really bonded and it does feel like a big family. It’s been so much fun."

Did Ellie and Bobby spend Valentine's Day together?

Earlier in February, Brazier revealed his Valentine's Day plans. While he is all about love, the EastEnders actor said he spent the romantic day by himself this year amid the speculation of him and Leech. He said he enjoyed eating watermelon and watching TV.

Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola

It isn't the first time Leach was at the heart of romance rumours relating to Strictly. During Strictly, it had been rumoured that Leach was going out with Vito Coppola. After they lifted the Glitter Ball trophy, Leach and Coppola finally denied romance rumours.

At the time, Josie Gibson point blank asked them whether they were going out. She grilled them on the This Morning sofa saying: "Guys I've got to ask, because the chemistry between you is magic, we've seen you on that dancefloor and it was so beautiful, is there any romance between you guys? Were the rumours true, or not?"

However they both laughed it off. The former Coronation Street star said on This Morning: "Honestly, we've just been having the most amazing time dancing. We've built a really strong bond and a friendship that will last forever."

Yahoo has reached out to Bobby Brazier and Ellie Leach's representatives for further comment.

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