Corrie and Strictly star Ellie Leach appears on latest episode of theatre podcast YOU’RE ON TONIGHT

Ellie Leach joins episode three of theatre podcast You’re On Tonight for a fast-paced and revealing conversation about what really happens when celebrity meets live theatre.

Fresh from winning Strictly Come Dancing and best known for Coronation Street, Ellie talks candidly about making her stage debut in Cluedo 2 — and how unprepared she was for the realities of a year-long UK tour.

She discusses stage fright, joining a company as a replacement for another actor, and the pressure of fronting a No.1 touring production, including the moment she received angry messages from fans after missing a performance to attend a funeral. Ellie reflects on how the incident exposed a widespread misunderstanding of how theatre works - and the emotional toll of feeling personally responsible to audiences night after night.

Ellie also shares stories from the Strictly live tour, recalling trips, falls and costume malfunctions that forced her to keep performing through chaos - experiences she credits with toughening her instincts as a live performer.

She is joined by her understudy Hannah Boyce, who describes the unique adrenaline of being thrown onstage at short notice, often in front of thousands of people who had expected to see someone else - and the quiet confidence required to win over a room in minutes.

Hannah also talks about the unseen intensity of understudy work, including rehearsing an extended intimate scene for The Judas Kiss, starring and directed by Rupert Everett, giving a rare insight into the discipline, vulnerability and trust demanded inside a rehearsal room.

You’re On Tonight is a weekly theatre podcast celebrating the performers audiences rarely see - focusing on the moments actors are forced to step into the spotlight without warning, rehearsal, or safety net.

To listen to the episode and for more info, please click here.