Strictly star Vito Coppola left former co-star Luba Mushtuk in tears after an emotional goodbye at a Strictly Weekend event.
As reported by Manchester Evening News, the moment came as Luba marked her final performance as an official member of the Strictly Come Dancing professional line-up.
Vito will return when the show comes back in September. Several familiar faces will not return to the ballroom.
The BBC has already confirmed new professionals will join the series before its autumn return. That follows the exits of Gorka Marquez, Michelle Tsiakkas, Karen Hauer, Nadiya Bychkova and Luba Mushtuk.
The end of Luba’s Strictly journey was announced in May. Her departure closes a decade on the hit BBC One series.
Why Strictly star Vito Coppola’s goodbye hit so hard
The emotional scene appeared in footage from one of Vito’s YouTube vlogs. In the clip, he handed Luba a bouquet of flowers and spoke to her in front of the crowd.
The moment quickly turned emotional. Luba broke down in tears as Vito paid tribute to her after their final performance together.
Vito delivered a goodbye speech during the event. He said: “I must say that I am so, so happy and glad, privileged and honoured to have done not just this dance with you, we have done everything together since the very beginning. You have always been kind to me, you are not just a beautiful dancer and an amazing professional but you are a unique friend.
“You are always there, you have always been there for me. I feel so privileged to share this dance with you, but to consider myself your friend and to have you in my life. I want to tell you that you will be in my life forever because I love you so, so much and beyond.”
‘You can count on me always’
He added: “Beside everything, I want to say that I am so so grateful, you know, to be your friend, to be your colleague, to be your partner here. And I mean it’s going to be forever.
“I do believe in the world forever and I’m going to be with you forever, Lubushka. You can count on me always. I will be there, always cheering, talking, and supporting you in your next successful career.”
An emotional Luba said: “Thank you so much. Wow. Okay. I told you I’ll be sponsored by waterproof mascara from tomorrow. Thank you. Thank you. You’re the best.”
The farewell says plenty about Strictly’s next chapter
Strictly pro Vito Coppola remains part of the show’s plans for the next series. He will return when Strictly Come Dancing comes back to screens in September.
The BBC says new professionals will join ahead of the autumn launch. Viewers can expect a refreshed line-up when the ballroom opens again.
Read more: Strictly stars Dianne Buswell and Vito Coppola announce tour news for next year
For fans, the farewell underlined how close the professional dancers can become. It also showed how emotional these exits can feel away from the main live show.
Are you excited for Strictly this year? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.