Emmerdale's Lewis Cope: From modelling for David Beckham and his TV hip hop fame to the Strictly ballroom
Anita Markoff | 11:01am Sat 20 SepEmmerdale star Lewis Cope has joined the line-up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing – and he’s already tipped as a favourite to lift the Glitterball Trophy.
The actor has stepped in as a late replacement for Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn, who had to withdraw from The BBC competition due to medical reasons. But Lewis is not to fazed by his late introduction.
The soap star shared that so far “excitement has taken over”. The public seem pretty confident in his dancing abilities too, as bookies have given him 11/4 odds of winning.
So, what do we know about Lewis Cope now he is swapping the Yorkshire Dales for the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom? Here’s a deep dive into the soap star’s life, including his age and where he’s from.
Where is Lewis Cope from and how old is he?
Lewis Cope was born on March 19, 1995. This makes him 30 years old. He grew up in Hartlepool, County Durham, in a working class family. Although he was raised alongside three brothers who went into boxing, Lewis decided to make a name for himself through dance and acting.
The start has spoken about how unexpected his career choice seemed at the time, telling Luxe he is just “an ordinary lad from a huge family”. During another interview, he pointed out his working class roots, telling The Independent his grandpa was a miner.
Despite coming from a background that is about as far away from showbiz as you can get, Lewis does not seem to regret following his passions.
Lewis’ dance experience
Lewis Cope found fame in London’s West End at just 11 years old when he was cast as Michael, Billy’s best friend, in Billy Elliot: The Musical. He moved to London for the role.
A year later, young Lewis returned home to the North-East and later joined street dance group Ruff Diamond. They went on to become runners-up on Sky’s Got To Dance in 2013. He told Luxe: “Those were the moments that were eye opening for me, where I thought maybe this could be a career.”
As part of Ruff Diamond, Lewis danced in front of Diversity’s Ashley Banjo, the Pussycat Doll’s Kimberly Wyatt, and JLS star Aston Merrygold. The group even appeared on Children in Need alongside the cast of EastEnders. They went on to be crowned UK Hip Hop Champions twice and represented Britain in the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas.
Lewis is definitely has a wealth of experience when it comes to dancing. But will the viewers of Strictly Come Dancing be happy with this…?
Modelling for David Beckham
After leaving the dance troupe in 2015 to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Lewis decided to pursue acting. His screen credits include Vera, Hetty Feather and Miss Sidhu Investigates.
Lewis has even caught the attention of David Beckham. The footballer personally selected him for a 2020 fragrance campaign after praising his “bold choice” to pursue dance over boxing.
In the video Beckham used to advertise his Bold Instinct parfum, Lewis can be seen pirouetting as he talks about the inspiration that led him to become a dancer. He said: “I’m from a huge working class family. Most of my brothers do boxing, but it was just never really for me. I wanted to dance.”
David Beckham posted the ad on Facebook, writing: “It was great to meet Lewis Cope, Leo Jonah and That Funny Blind Guy. Thank you for sharing your inspiring stories and being part of my new fragrance launch, Bold Instinct.”
Why did Lewis Cope quit Emmerdale?
In 2022, Lewis landed his breakout TV role as Nicky Milligan in Emmerdale. He earned a nomination for the National Television Awards’ Rising Star the following year.
Nicky arrived in the village as a seemingly sweet new nanny at Home Farm. But it wasn’t long before viewers learned he was actually part of a revenge plot orchestrated by his father Caleb (William Ash) to take down Kim Tate (Claire King).
Nicky’s storylines included a sham engagement to Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham), despite being gay, and a complicated relationship with his parents, Caleb and Ruby (Beth Cordingly).
But after just two years on the Dales, Lewis made his exit in 2024. His character Nicky left the village with his new boyfriend Suni after discovering shocking truths about his family. The soap star has since admitted he misses working with his on-screen mum Beth Cordingly (Ruby Milligan).
Nine months after his character arc ended, fans became hopeful that he might make a comeback in the Dales as he was pictured partying with some of his co-stars. However, it soon became clear they were simply gathering to celebrate his 30th birthday.
When quizzed by Tresa magazine about his time on the show, Lewis shared: “I feel very lucky to have been a part of Emmerdale. The people are the best part about the show, cast and crew! It’s such a special place to work!”
The actor also gushed over his storylines, saying he felt “super blessed” to tackle such interesting scenes.
Does Lewis Cope have a girlfriend?
The actor’s character in Emmerdale may have been a gay man, but in real life Lewis is in a long-term relationship with Rachel Lopez, who he has been with for six years now. Rachel is a personal trainer from Dublin who also occasionally appears in stage productions or short films. Since they got together, the pair have spent every Christmas in her hometown.
Very little is publicly known about their relationship, but the couple do love to travel. In the past year they went on holiday to Budapest, Mykonos, Naxos, and of course Dublin.
Lewis Cope on Strictly Come Dancing
Lewis was unveiled as a late addition to the Strictly 2025 cast after Kristian Nairn pulled out. He announced the news on The One Show.
He said: “I think, if anything, joining late has probably helped me because I haven’t had time to overthink it. The excitement has just taken over.” The dancer is especially keen to impress judge Shirley Ballas.
Lewis Cope’s Strictly co-stars
Lewis Cope will be joining 14 other celebrities in the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing. Among the line-up are model Ellie Goldstein, ER and Doctor Who star Alex Kingston, rugby captain Chris Robshaw and drag performer La Voix.
EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal, Love Island winner Dani Dyer and retired footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are also set to take to the famous dance floor. Social media personality George Clarke, former footballer Karen Carney and Gladiators favourite Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, known as Nitro, complete the cast.
What time is Strictly Come Dancing on?
Strictly Come Dancing 2025 kicks off with a glittering launch show. It will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday September 20, 2025. The show goes out at 6.40pm and finishes at 8.30pm.
