Strictly's Ellie Goldstein makes 'nervous' admission as she shares 'best thing' about show
Ellie Goldstein, who is the first person with Down syndrome to ever compete on the BBC dance contest, disclosed what makes her "nervous" about the hugely popular show
Ellie Goldstein, the first contestant with Down syndrome to grace the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor, has opened up about her experience on the show. Despite admitting to feeling "nervous", she also shared what she believes is the "best thing" about being part of the popular BBC dance contest.
In a recent interview with Bella magazine, Ellie and her dance partner, Vito Coppola, discussed their journey on the show. Ellie confessed: "The crowd being enthusiastic makes me nervous", to which Vito responded: "But we say it's OK to be nervous because that means that we care."
Ellie also revealed her favourite part of the Strictly experience, saying: "The best thing about being on Strictly is the early starts and being with Vito the whole day."
Vito echoed her sentiments, adding: "All day, every day, we just want to live life to the full, and make sure we go home with the biggest smiles. For the warm-up, Ellie always chooses the songs. She likes Unwritten (by Natasha Bedingfield)."
Ellie, who was among the final 10 couples on the show on Saturday night (November 1), also mentioned that she enjoys Golden, a track from the 2025 film KPop Demon Hunters.
Speaking ahead of the first live show back in September, Ellie admitted to feeling "nervous" about the programme. However, Vito explained they had developed a "ritual before any performance".
Speaking to the Sun's TV Magazine, Ellie said that if she starts to "feel sick", Vito will calm her down, perhaps with a "piggyback".
Vito then revealed that they have their "own personalised handshake".
He said: "We already have our own personalised handshake, which we make our ritual before any performance. And I always hold Ellie's hand, because I told her: 'When you are with me, you are safe. I've got you'."
During week six of the series, which was the annual Halloween special, Ellie and Vito delivered the tango to Lady Gaga's Abracadabra. In the routine, Ellie, a model who has worked for brands such as Nike, pulled her partner out of a hat.
They went on to score a total of 27 out of 40 points for their performance, placing them in a precarious position on the leaderboard, with fans sharing concerns that Ellie and Vito were in the so-called "death slot".
Despite this, others have also commended Vito for his partnership with Ellie. One viewer said: "One thing that doesn't get mentioned enough is how well Vito works with, and choreographs for, the height difference between him and Ellie. #Strictly."
Another responded: "Exactly! People don't realise how well Vito has worked with Ellie to get her to a great level. I love this couple and will be voting for them again #Halloween week. #Strictly."