Strictly Come Dancing finalists Ellie Leach and Bobby Brazier have been enjoying secret dates together during the live tour of the BBC show.

Former Coronation Street star Ellie, 22, and EastEnders actor Bobby, 20, have grown closer since embarking on the UK tour this month, insiders have revealed.

A source told The Sun how the pair have kissed and been on secret dates during their breaks between performances.

They said: ‘Bobby and Ellie are the talk of the tour. Their friendship has grown and grown, and they’ve been spending nearly all their free time together before and after performances.’

+9
View gallery

Strictly Come Dancing finalists Ellie Leach and Bobby Brazier have been enjoying secret dates together during the live tour of the BBC show (pictured together on January 18)

+9
View gallery

A source told The Sun how the pair have kissed and been on secret dates during their breaks between performances. On Tuesday  Ellie shared a selfie as she cuddled up to Bobby

‘They’ve been having their meals together, and flirting increasingly openly. The chat on tour is they may have enjoyed a cheeky snog, and will go public with their romance any week now.’

Representatives for Bobby and Ellie have been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

On Tuesday night Ellie shared a selfie on Instagram as she cuddled up to Bobby while on the road from Birmingham to Sheffield.

Also on Tuesday, pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin posted a photo of Bobby and Ellie having dinner backstage one night on tour, with Bobby’s arm draped around the back of Ellie’s chair. Bobby promptly reposted the cosy photo on his own Insta.

Bobby and Ellie have been pictured enjoying time together away from their Strictly co-stars, cosying up on a low-key date at Nandos last week and arriving at their Sheffield hotel together earlier this week.

The two youngest Strictly stars reportedly partied until 3am after the opening night of their UK tour – just hours before they had to perform again.

Both Bobby and Ellie were said to be among a group of stars letting loose at a lavish hotel bash, according to The Sun, after their first live show at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham.

Strictly bosses reportedly spent £3,000 on hiring an entire floor at the Malmaison hotel in Birmingham for celebrations as the tour kicked off.

+9
View gallery

Nikita Kuzmin posted a photo of Bobby and Ellie having dinner backstage one night on tour, with Bobby’s arm draped around the back of Ellie’s chair. Bobby promptly reposted the cosy photo on his own Insta

+9
View gallery

Bobby and Ellie have been pictured enjoying time together away from their Strictly co-stars, cosying up on a low-key date at Nandos last week

After a three-course dinner and drinks the party really started as they danced around to tunes played off a phone into the early hours.

But after staying up until 3am they had a matinée performance at 2.30pm on Saturday then a second show at 7pm.

Ellie and her pro partner Vito Coppola were crowned Strictly champions last year, with the pair repeatedly dogged by romance rumours throughout the series.

The former Coronation Street actress became the show’s youngest ever winner as she pipped Bobby and Layton Williams to the post.

However, the pair clarified their relationship status last week, with Vito insisting they are ‘going nowhere’, but confirmed they are just good friends.

Speaking to the The Mirror, he said: ‘We have a great relationship and honestly when you just find people, not just me and Ellie but their family which I love.

+9

A source told The Sun how the pair have kissed and been on secret dates during their breaks between performances (pictured with their co-stars)

+9
View gallery

Ellie beat Bobby and fellow finalist Layton Williams to the Strictly Glitterball trophy in December

‘You just find these people that you think are going to stay in my life forever, in each others lives forever, and all the family and the dogs.’

‘We are going nowhere, don’t worry I am going to annoy you every single day, every week and every single year,’ he added.

When asked if they meant as friends, the pair confirmed that they are just good friends as they gave an insight into their close bond.

Bobby meanwhile split from his model girlfriend Liberty Love last year, and was briefly linked to fashion consultant Boadecia Evans.

+9
View gallery

Ellie and her pro partner Vito Coppola were crowned Strictly champions last year, with the pair repeatedly dogged by romance rumours throughout the series

+9
View gallery

Bobby meanwhile split from his model girlfriend Liberty Love last year, and was briefly linked redto fashion consultant Boadecia Evans (pictured)

+

There had also been speculation around Bobby’s relationship with his dance partner Dianne Buswell, who is 14 years his senior, after he called her his ‘Juliet’

While talking with presenter Claudia Winkleman during one of the Strictly live shows, Bobby revealed that he was sharing a bed with someone and had woken them up by performing a dance move.

He said: ‘I woke up one moment doing this… I woke myself up doing that and then the week before, the person that I shared a bed with, I turned and said this is the industrial twist…’

There had also been speculation around Bobby’s relationship with his dance partner Dianne Buswell, who is 14 years his senior, after he called her his ‘Juliet.’

However, Dianne’s romance with former Strictly partner and YouTube star Joe Sugg, 32, is still going strong.