Who is Lewis Cope? Meet Strictly Come Dancing 2025 contestant and actor
Another soap star has joined the line-up!
Lewis Cope is headed into the second week of Strictly Come Dancing with a lot to live up to after the actor wowed audiences and the judges alike.
The actor, who previously starred in Billy Elliot as a child, performed a Jive to Get Ready by The Temptations with his professional partner Katya Jones.
The couple received an impressive score for week one, with judge Craig Revel Horwood scoring higher than a four, and they currently sit at the second spot of the leaderboard.
As another live show commences, scroll on to learn more about the actor as he takes part in Strictly Come Dancing 2025.
Who is Lewis Cope?
Age: 30
Job: Actor
Instagram: @lewiscope
Partner: Katya Jones
Lewis Cope is an actor who is best known for his role in ITV's Emmerdale, in which he played series regular Nicky Milligan.
He was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2023 National Television Awards for the role. Away from the Dales, Cope has also starred in Vera, Mrs Sidhu Investigates and Hetty Feather.
Cope has been acting for quite some time, having made his stage debut at 11 years old, taking on the role of Michael in the West End hit Billy Elliot: The Musical.
Lewis Cope's Strictly journey so far
Scoreboard
Week 1: Jive (7+7+7+7) = 28
What is Lewis Cope dancing to in Week 2 on Strictly?
Lewis and his dance partner Katya will dance the Viennese Waltz to Lose Control by Teddy Swims.
What TV shows has Lewis Cope acted in?
Most notably, Lewis Cope starred in Emmerdale for over 100 episodes from 2022 to 2024.
His other credits include Vera, Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Doctors and Hetty Feather. Lewis appeared in just one episode of Ver as Marcus Hynde in 2021.
As per his IMDb, Lewis has one upcoming project called Kazzy. Though details on his character are yet to be unveiled.
Who are Lewis Cope's siblings?
Little is known on who Lewis Cope's siblings are, though it was revealed that Lewis is one of 14!
During an episode of Strictly Come Dancing, it was revealed that Lewis has three brothers who are professional boxers, ranging from professional, ex-professional and amateur.
Lewis previously opened up about his family during an appearance on Lorraine, telling the host that Christmas time is "lovely".
What did Lewis Cope say about joining Strictly Come Dancing?
On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Cope said in a statement: "I'm so excited to be swapping the Dales for the dance floor and joining this year's Strictly Come Dancing."
He continued: "I've always been a fan of the show and cannot wait to get started!"
The news of his casting was announced on The One Show, where he admitted he wasn't initially in the running to take part in the series.
"If anything, it's probably helped me," he said on the programme. "Because I haven't really had time to think about it or anything.
"So now the excitement has kind of just taken over, and I'm just like all inside."
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One and iPlayer.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
