Ellie and professional dancer Vito Coppola were left stunned by the message on the BBC series
Strictly Come Dancing fans said they ‘can’t cope’ after a music icon sent a surprise message to contestant Ellie Goldstein.
The actress and model, who is the first person to compete on the series with Down Syndrome, is being taught the art of dance by Vito Coppola.
Quickly becoming fan favourites on the series, Saturday night’s (October 25) episode of the series saw Ellie and Vito taking part in icons week.
Ellie channelled her inner Spice Girl as she and Vito took on the Salsa to a melody of the girl group’s biggest hits, including Spice Up Your Life and Who Do You Think You Are?
After a fun-filled routine, Craig Revel Horwood said that he ‘loved the energy but it needed more hip rotation and smoother transitions’.
Motsi Mabuse commended Ellie and Vito’s ‘personality and connection’ as head judge Shirley Ballas said she ‘never makes mistakes’.
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With Anton De Beke telling Ellie to ‘keep going’, the judges gave her and Vito a combined score of 28 out of 40 points.
Making her way to the Clauditorium to rejoin Claudia Winkleman and the rest of the stars, the presenter revealed that none other than Emma Bunton sent her a message.
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“Hi Ellie. It’s Emma Bunton here. I have been watching you every week and you’re my favourite. Then I heard that I’m your favourite Spice Girl. I’m honoured.
“I think you are a superstar. Thank you so much for dancing to our songs. The other girls are sending all their love and good luck with the scores! And big kiss to Vito, sending you lots of love,” Baby Spice said.
With Ellie jumping in the air and screaming in joy, fans rushed to X, previously known as Twitter, to have their say on the moment.
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@Jane69946890611 said: “No way, Emma Bunton made a video appearance on #strictly for Ellie’s personal message.” @meganpsitn added: “I thought Ellie was going to faint when Emma popped up on screen #Strictly.”
@becca_x94 wroteL “BABY SPICE SENDING ELLIE A MESSAGE OMG I CAN’T COPE #strictly@KarenlovesGB stated: “Omg Ellie is having the time of her life! First time I haven’t cried watching her. Pure joy #strictly.”
@ryleesdove commented: “awww ellie got a video message from baby herself! that’s so sweet #Strictly.” @Rosie12_1994 posted: “#strictly I thought that was good ellie just brings such joy everytime she dances and is so in sync with vito loved it tbf!”
RHOC’s Shannon Beador Addresses Alexis Wedding Drama, Tamra Saying Jenn Has to Follow Shannon’s Rules, & Vicki Having Alexis on Podcast, Plus Possible Friendship With Katie & Reunion
Shannon Beador
appeared on Thursday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live, where she addressed Tamra Judge‘s claims regarding her supposed rules for her friends and revealed whether she told Jennifer Pedranti
to skip the recent wedding of Alexis Bellino and John Janssen.
Credit: Instagram
After her friendship with Jenn, 48, was called into question on the latest episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County
, Shannon, 62, commented on Vicki Gunvalson, 63, welcoming Alexis to her podcast, shared if she’s open to a friendship with Katie Ginella, 41, teased the upcoming reunion, and more.
“Everyone can make their own choices as to who they want to be friends with,” Shannon stated on the October 23 episode of WWHL after being asked about Tamra, 58, saying she felt bad for Jenn because people have to obey Shannon’s rules if they want to be friends with her.
“Jenn and I are great friends. I’m friends actually, with pretty much everyone on the cast, except one,” she continued, proceeding to deny that she had told Jenn not to go to Alexis’ wedding.
“You can see at Tamra’s cake decorating party, she brought it up and I said, ‘Are you going?’ And she said, ’No.’ And I said, ’Thank you,’” she recalled. “But in the end, Alexis did invite her on the day of.”
While Shannon was blindsided when John broke up with her in late 2022, she said that “a long time” had passed, which has allowed her to move on.
“Congratulations. I’ve said publicly, it looked beautiful. It looked like a really pretty wedding. So, good luck,” she told the couple.
As for Vicki having Alexis on her podcast, Shannon confirmed her friend reached out to her first.
“She called me the day that it was happening and told me that it was … Once again, it’s been two years now, so I’m good. I know that where I am in my life has never been better, so I’m fine with Alexis talking to whoever she wants to,” she explained.
During a game in which she was asked if she was closing the door on certain things, Shannon revealed that while a Tres Amigas reunion was “not possible,” nor was making peace with Alexis and John, she was open to a future friendship with Katie.
“What happened was a lot for me. I felt very invaded [by Katie’s secret audio recording] because we were so close at the time she did it. Um, but you know, I’m on a housewife show, so I’ll say never say never,” she shared.
Also not possible was a reconciliation with Love Hotel‘s Earl “Earl the Pearl” Thompson, 59.
“That’s shut. That was shut a year ago. So maybe stop using my photos when you’re trying to post things,” she advised, before whispering, “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Moving on to Gina Kirschenheiter, 41, Shannon was asked about her castmate saying she pushed her away because she held her accountable.
“Well, we had a talk about that too because she was upset that I didn’t … you know, by the way, I wanted to throw a nice luncheon,” Shannon replied, changing the subject. “And I thought, ‘Let’s do it for Jenn.’ And everyone’s like, ‘Why are we going to this?’ Ugh, why did Tamra have a cake-baking party after she flipped [
Gretchen Rossi] off? We have events.”
When a fan wanted to know if Shannon would ever be able to trust Tamra, who was known for a pattern of “rage, regret, and repeat,” again, Shannon suggested she would not.
“I think that I’ve come to a good place with her where I can film with her and I can even laugh with her sometimes. But I will never be her close friend again, and that is me making a healthy choice,” she explained.
As for the reunion, Shannon said that while she asked herself, “Should I have said that?,” after the taping, she felt that it was a “good reunion.”
“You said a lot. You did,”
Andy Cohen, 57, shared as Shannon asked, “Isn’t that the point?”
“Yes. I mean it in a good way,” he confirmed, wondering who was in the hot seat the most.
“Tamra and Gretchen,” Shannon replied.
Also on the live airing, Shannon shared her rose and thorn of season 19.
“I think that my rose clearly is that this season was more fun for me and the fact that I was able to develop very strong friendships with a lot of the girls that I didn’t think that I would and my thorn, it’s a thorn with like, nice things around it, is that now I have twice as much poop to clean up with two dogs,” she revealed.
Later on Thursday night, on the WWHL: After Show, Shannon was asked if she believed there was any merit to what Katie said during her meeting with Tamra.
“I’m just gonna say that we all have misspoke. There was a year where I said, ‘Don’t accuse me of things I do.’ Well, of course, that’s not what I meant. I [meant] ‘don’t do.’ And so I do not believe that Gretchen said what she said [about being drugged and hospitalized amid her ‘naked wasted’ drama with Tamra on season four]. I think she did misspeak. And, you know, that’s where I stand with it,” she declared.
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