Vito Coppola, a professional dancer on the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing," has revealed his devout Christian faith, stating he attends church every week without fail. The 33-year-old Italian dancer, who joined the show in 2022, finds solace and connection to home by attending a weekly mass in central London.
"I like to wake up and to go to church because I'm Christian and we grew up with, you know, my mom, my family, we always go to church on Sunday morning," Coppola told the Daily Mail. He attends Saint Peter's Church in Farringdon, where the mass is conducted in Italian, a detail that helps him feel closer to his roots. "The mass is in Italian. The priest is Italian and so it makes me feel, you know, a bit closer home," he explained.
Beyond his personal faith, Coppola also spoke about his role as a mentor to the five new professional dancers joining the upcoming season of "Strictly Come Dancing." These new additions include Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Mark Karmalita, and Maddie Ingoldsby. Coppola described them as "nice, very respectful and polite and gentle and kind and honest," and he has taken on a "big brother" role, offering his support.
"The only one I knew before was Cristian, the Italian guy. We used to compete together, so we know each other, but all the others I just said like 'guys, whatever you need, whenever, just call me, even at 3am'," Coppola shared. He feels a strong connection to the new dancers, referring to them as "new brothers and sisters" and expressing his desire to look after them.
Coppola's sentiments stem from his own experience when he first arrived in the UK for the show. He admitted to initial uncertainty about how he would be received in a different culture, particularly given his energetic personality. "Maybe they find me too much because I'm quite, you know, active and quite an excited puppy always around," he said.
Last season, Coppola was partnered with actress Ellie Goldstein, known for being the first model with Down Syndrome to appear on the cover of British Vogue. The pair, who formed a close friendship, were eliminated in week five. The upcoming season's lineup includes celebrity hairdresser Chris Appleton, Love Island star Cache Mercer, YouTuber John Nellis, EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, and Melanie Walters.
In addition to his television work, Coppola is also a brand ambassador for Balconi, an Italian bakery brand. He has partnered with the brand, which is available in major retailers.