Sarah Hadland's 'terrifying' Strictly experience with partner Vito Coppola amid fears for future - 'Sometimes you want to stop'

What happens when you put two big balls of energy together in the same room? Something like Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola, we imagine. Actress Sarah, famed for appearing in comedy series Miranda with her best mate Miranda Hart, has been taking Strictly Come Dancing by storm alongside Italian pro Vito and their sense of fun, as well as dedication, is palpable. As we catch up with them for an exclusive OK! shoot, the pair are in raptures about the 70s vibes of the decor and clothes. “We feel amazing – these outfits! I actually feel a bit gangster!” laughs Sarah, as Vito adds, “I love it. Very, very cool.”

These two have clearly formed a bond – Vito teasing Sarah about teaching her to “walk properly,” followed by her pulling off the most complicated dance move without batting an eyelid, then doing a brilliant impression of Vito’s accent as she describes hilarious moments in training. Here, they talk Strictly, cultural exchanges and why it will be hard to leave the “glorious technicolour” of the show when it’s all over…

When OK! asks about her Strictly journey so far, it seems Sarah still can’t quite believe she’s performing on the glitzy BBC show. “I’ve always been a Strictly super fan, so this is so surreal. Every year I have a big group of friends I watch it with, and now I’m in it! It’s mad. It’s simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.” Mum-of-one Sarah, 53, likens it to being on a “speeding train”, saying: “Sometimes, you want to get off, have a cup of tea and a lie-down, but you wouldn’t dream of it, because it’s so thrilling you don’t want it to end. It feels like a fairy tale. Everything else will feel like black and white after this.”

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And for Vito, though this is season three for him, it’s a different animal each time. He says, “It’s very exciting. When you start this journey each year, you don’t know what to expect. Each celebrity is different, and the bond you form is unique. It’s intense, it’s a roller-coaster – but we enjoy the ride so much!”

Vito is full of Italian exuberance, and high-energy Sarah says their two personalities align very well. “We’re both very expressive and full-on. We sometimes go a bit bonkers in training. Vito is involved in every element of the performance, from lighting to costumes. That’s the mark of somebody that wants things to be good. We’re both hard-working and we both care a lot.”

“Oh, we definitely have the same energy levels,” agrees Vito. “And a similar sense of humour – we love to have fun and we love our food! We also have a similar work ethic. We really get into the zone. I define myself as a bit of a golden retriever, but we’re both excitable!”

They’ve offered up some stunning dances to date, but for Sarah, the stand-out moment for her so far was their moving, Harry Potter-styled Viennese waltz, a tribute to the late Dame Maggie Smith which had viewers in tears. “That was special,” she reflects. “Then, to have Anton saying I’d done the hardest move he’d ever seen on Strictly… I didn’t know what he was talking about at the time, but it felt amazing!”

Her journey hasn’t been without wobbles – Sarah says she has “100%” had moments of doubt, but tries not to think about it. “This show is live, for a start! Which is part of the thrill, too. But I’ve spoken to people who’ve done the show before and they’ve all said the same thing – be present. Enjoy performing a dance with a professional dancer, in a beautiful costume with gorgeous music. I do try, otherwise it’s a wasted experience.”

The actress’s mum, who she affectionately calls “Beaky”, is one of her number-one fans, she says, and came to the launch show as well as two of the live shows so far. “Oh, she loves Strictly,” smiles Sarah. “She was a ballerina as a teenager – she played Alice in Alice in Wonderland for the BBC when she was 14. She was being trained to be a prima ballerina, but gave it up at 19; she didn’t want to do it any more.

“She went to work in Harrods, and that’s where she met my dad. But she loves the show so much – she feels ballet was a bit too strict for her and she couldn’t experiment so much. She loves all the different dances.” Sarah’s mum also has a soft spot for Vito, she admits. “Oh, she adores Vito. Adores him. When she first met him, she kissed him on the cheek, took a photo, and asked me print it off so she could carry it round in her handbag and show people, ‘Look, that’s Vito, kissing me.’ I said to him, ‘You’re going to end up on the hall stairs and landing, you know…’”

As for the fellow celebrities this year, Sarah admits that blind comedian Chris McCausland is the “funniest and loveliest man,” while Dr Punam was her “best mate on the show.” She also gets on like a house on fire with former TOWIE star Pete Wicks, despite initially thinking they might not have much in common. Sarah says, “Pete is lovely – I had some great chats with him. He’s a deep thinker. They’re all lovely. We all scream for each other on a Saturday night.” Vito adds, “Yes, the whole group is so supportive of each other. There’s a lot of hugging – especially where I’m involved!”

What all the celebs and their pros have in common, of course, is that they have to face the Strictly judging panel each week – but it’s not something Sarah or Vito lose any sleep over. “It’s simply an honour to get feedback from them,” says Vito. “They have a lifetime of experience between them. They’re like a rainbow of different personalities. I love the judges.”

Sarah agrees, “It’s part of the show. If you haven’t been criticised by Craig, have you even done Strictly?! Vito and I are actually a bit obsessed with Shirley. She’s such a queen. She has this schoolteacher vibe when she’s critiquing you – like you’ve really let her down!
I must say, as an uber-fan, these four judges are the best combo since the show started.”

Speaking of fans, Sarah has a whole new legion of admirers since taking to the dance floor and admits she has viewers stopping her to discuss her progress. “I’ve had people come up to me in the supermarket and talk to me about my ‘gapping’ and I’m like, ‘I know, I know, I need to work on my gapping…’ I love it. People have been so lovely about our partnership.”

Sarah and Vito are a brilliant pairing, but as Vito tells us, so were his previous partners, Fleur East and Ellie Leach, who he won the glitterball with last year. Does he still speak to them much? “I speak to Fleur and Ellie constantly! Ellie told me that she’s voting for us every single week. Strictly doesn’t just teach you how to dance, it gives you these friendships with people that end up staying in your life forever. I wake up in the morning and am just so happy to do what I do.”

Someone else supporting Sarah from home is her old co-star and friend Miranda Hart. The comedian, who recently got married, is “equally obsessed” with Strictly and Sarah says she’s been “really supportive” and sends lots of messages when she watches the show. “Miranda has told me that having a close friend on it has made her fall in love with Strictly even more. We have a huge WhatsApp group of friends – when I was watching it, we’d normally meet up at Miranda’s and make a night of it, and I’d usually watch the final with Miranda and Patricia Hodge, who plays Penny.”

But back to Vito and Sarah, it is clear these two will remain friends far beyond the show. Vito, as we have seen, has already made Sarah pizza in the training room, while Sarah has very proudly taught Vito how to make the perfect cuppa. Have there been any other cultural exchanges we should know about? “I did want to convert Sarah to proper Italian coffee, but she’s sticking with tea,” sighs Vito, as Sarah giggles, “Oh, I’ve converted Vito to boiled egg and soldiers (no, I’ll never be going on Celebrity MasterChef like Vito), cheese on toast and the pièce de résistance… Marmite on toast!”

Vito, clearly in his element as the conversation turns to food, says he has realised that, for the British, butter is like olive oil to Italians… “Here, on toast, it is all about the butter. But you have to use salty butter. There is so much dedication about the toast!” Sarah adds, “My next attempt is spaghetti on toast" - but for Vito, this is a step too far. He laughs, “No, no, I’m really not sure about this situation…”

Something else Sarah would like to introduce her dance partner to is camping, which she loves. “I’d like to take Vito camping. I love camping. I like to get my little stove out… I think he’d really like it. What do you think about being in a two-man tent with me, Vito?” After a beat, Vito replies, “Oh, like a boy scout? Warming our food on the fire? Yes, I’d like to. Why not? I’m always open to new experiences.”

Once her Strictly adventure is over, Sarah begins filming the second series of sitcom Daddy Issues with David Morrissey in January. She also has some comedy writing ideas in the pipeline, she says, one of which involves Vito. “I really want to give Vito his first comedy role in British television. That’s a goal for me, so watch this space!”

Meanwhile, Sarah admits she doesn’t want this dream to be over. “Once this series is finished, I’ll probably keep turning up at Elstree Studios anyway,” she laughs. “They’ll look at me strangely and be like, ‘Sarah, it’s over!’ I’ll be like, ‘No, no, no.’ I’ll rent out a little room there, and pay Vito to turn up every Saturday night for a little dance.” “I’’d do that for free, with pleasure!” grins Vito. And we believe him.