Ellie Leach, the reigning champion of Strictly Come Dancing, will make her stage acting debut as Miss Scarlett in the world premiere UK tour of Cluedo 2, which comes to the New Victoria Theatre in Woking from Tuesday, March 5 to Saturday, March 9, 2024.

She replaces Helen Flanagan, who has been advised to withdraw for medical reasons. 

Ellie, with dance partner Vito Coppola, won the Glitterball Trophy in December, and is also known to millions of viewers as Faye Windass in Coronation Street.

During her 13 years on the soap, Ellie was involved in various memorable storylines and nominated for numerous acting awards.

Starring alongside Ellie will be leading West End actor and TV favourite Jason Durr, who stars as Colonel Mustard.

Jason was most recently seen as David Hide in BBC One’s Casualty – and audiences will also recognise him from his numerous other roles, including the motorbike-riding policeman Mike Bradley from ITV’s hugely popular series Heartbeat.

Ellie said: “After an incredible year I’m so excited to join the cast of Cluedo 2. I am delighted to make my stage acting debut as Miss Scarlett and I can’t wait to work with Jason and the talented cast.”

After the success of the critically acclaimed original play Cluedo, based on the classic Hasbro boardgame which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, Cluedo 2 is a brand new comedy mystery set in the Swinging Sixties.

It is written by one of the UK’s most successful TV and stage writing duos, Bafta award-winning Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran (Birds of a Feather, Goodnight Sweetheart and Dreamboats and Petticoats) and will be directed by Mark Bell (The Play That Goes Wrong).