Not content with her unbelievable five Paralympic gold medals, Strictly Come Dancing star Ellie Simmonds is proving herself to be a dab-hand on the dance floor after she had fans welling up at her 'magical' waltz last weekend.
The 27-year-old swimmer - who retired from competing last year - is paired with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, and when she took to the dance floor for the first time, her boyfriend Matt Dean made a rare public appearance to support her.
Ellie and Matt have always enjoyed a low-key romance, despite Ellie's fame.
The couple are believed to have known each other since they were toddlers, meeting through his parents Penny and Arthur Dean, who are pioneers in sports for people with dwarfism.
The couple co-founded the Dwarf Sports Association, a charity that Ellie is now patron of.
Indeed, it was Matt's parents who first introduced Ellie to swimming when she was just two years old, and gave the Paralympic superstar the tools and confidence to achieve her dreams.
“Penny is very confident, passionate and proud about who she is and that radiates," Ellie told The Sun of her mentor.
It's not known how Matt and Ellie finally got together, but they are going from strength-to-strength and bought their first house together during the pandemic.
"We've been together a couple of years and just bought a house in South Manchester. We lived together during lockdown in London, so have become very used to living with each other," she said.
And she credits Matt with encouraging her to embrace the challenge of Strictly, explaining: "When I got the call I did wonder whether I should do it. Then I thought I'd do a leap of faith. [Matt told me] 'Go for it, you don't know unless you try.'"
And when Matt sat in the audience for the show's launch night, Ellie singled him out to host Claudia Winkleman, cheekily taking aim at his cooking skills.
Claudia said: "We have to mention your partner Matt because he's never cooked before and now you're doing Strictly, I believe he's making you packed lunches, he's making supper at night."
To which Ellie quipped: "He's making everything, so yeah, he's an alright cook. He needs to add the vegetables. He keeps forgetting the vegetables and is just giving me carbohydrates!"
Ellie has also stated that it is a 'real honour' for her to be the first person with dwarfism to take part in Strictly, and vowed to 'show how positive that is, that to be different is OK'.
What did you think of Ellie's waltz last weekend? Have your say in the comments section below...
