{{For|the fictional character|Lewis Cope (River City)}} {{Short description|English actor and dancer (born 1995)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Use British English|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Lewis Cope | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1995|03|19}} | birth_place = Hartlepool, County Durham, England | image = Lewis Cope at BAFTAs 2026 02.jpg | caption = Cope in 2026 | occupation = {{Hlist|Actor|dancer}} | television = ''Got to Dance'' <br /> ''Emmerdale'' <br /> ''Strictly Come Dancing'' | years_active = 2008–present }}
'''Lewis Cope''' (born 19 March 1995) is an English actor and dancer. After beginning his career as a child actor appearing in a West End production of ''Billy Elliot the Musical'', he competed in the Sky One dance series ''Got to Dance'', finishing as a runner-up on the fourth series in 2013. Cope then went on to act in series including ''Hetty Feather'', ''Doctors'' and ''Vera''. In 2022, he was cast as Nicky Miligan in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. After leaving the series in 2024, he appeared as a contestant on the twenty-third series of ''Strictly Come Dancing'' the year after.
==Life and career== Cope was born on 19 March 1995 in Hartlepool, County Durham, and has 13 siblings.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/06/08/emmerdales-nicky-star-lewis-cope-has-astonishing-number-of-siblings-18917312/ |title= Emmerdale's Nicky star Lewis Cope has astonishing number of siblings |publisher=Metro | access-date= 22 August 2025| date=8 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="bio">{{cite web |title=Getting To Know Emmerdale Star Lewis Cope |url=https://luxe-magazine.co.uk/2023/05/getting-to-know-emmerdale-star-lewis-cope/ |website=Luxe |access-date=21 August 2025 |date=24 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lewis Cope |url=https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/lewis-cope/ |website=InterTalent |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> He attended both English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College and Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.<ref name="bio"/>
In 2008, aged 13, Cope was cast in the role of Michael in a West End theatre production of ''Billy Elliot the Musical''.<ref>{{cite web |title=BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL {{!}} London Theatre Direct |url=https://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/2008-11-28-billy-elliot-the-musical/amp |website=www.londontheatredirect.com |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> In 2010, he appeared in the BBC sketch show ''The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Guide |first1=British Comedy |title=The Impressions Show With Culshaw & Stephenson: Series 2, Episode 5 |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/impressions_show/episodes/2/5/ |website=British Comedy Guide |language=en}}</ref> He subsequently joined the hip-hop dance troupe Ruff Diamond, who finished as runner-up on the Sky One dance competition ''Got to Dance'' in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title='Got to Dance' finalists confirmed |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a464616/gymtasia-evolution-ruff-diamond-complete-got-to-dance-final-lineup/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=21 August 2025 |date=10 March 2013}}</ref> Cope went on to appear in the short films ''A Six and Two Threes'' and ''Waterbabies'', as well as television series including ''Hetty Feather'' (2019), ''Doctors'' (2019) and ''Vera'' (2021).<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |title=Actor Lewis Cope joins the cast of Strictly Come Dancing 2025 |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2025/strictly-come-dancing-lewis-cope |website=BBC Media Centre |access-date=21 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref> His stage credits include ''Richard III'' (2017), ''Punk Rock'' (2017), ''Macbeth'' (2017), ''The Night Watch'' (2018), ''Spilt'' (2018), ''Candide'' (2018), ''F$%k Magical Michael'' (2019), ''Witness for the Prosecution'' (2019) and ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' (2022).<ref name="spotlight">{{cite web |title=Lewis Cope – Spotlight CV |url=https://app.spotlight.com/0615-5612-8754 |website=Spotlight |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> [[File:Lewis Cope at Avatar fire and ash premiere London 2025.jpg|thumb|upright|Cope at the premiere of ''Avatar: Fire and Ash'' in December 2025]] In 2022, Cope joined the cast of the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' as Nicky Miligan.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Daly |first1=Helen |title=Emmerdale newcomer Lewis Cope hints Nicky is "too good to be true" {{!}} Radio Times |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/emmerdale/emmerdale-lewis-cope-nicky-newsupdate/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> He was initially introduced as a male nanny who attends an interview for a job caring for Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) and Dawn Fletcher's (Olivia Bromley) children at Home Farm, before being established as the son of Caleb Miligan (William Ash), and the grandson of Frank Tate (Norman Bowler) and Faith Dingle (Sally Dexter).<ref>{{cite web |title=Emmerdale newcomer Lewis Cope teases possible twist in nanny Nicky story |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a42240207/emmerdale-spoilers-lewis-cope-nicky-twist/ |website=Digital Spy |date=14 December 2022 |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> He departed the soap in July 2024, with the character leaving alongside boyfriend Suni Sharma (Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana).<ref>{{cite web |title=Emmerdale to air two surprise exits as young couple bow out |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a61084105/emmerdale-nicky-suni-exits/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=21 August 2025 |date=12 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Emmerdale airs double exit in early ITVX episode |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a61508217/emmerdale-spoilers-double-exit-itvx-episode/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=21 August 2025 |date=4 July 2024}}</ref>
In 2023, Cope appeared in an episode of the mystery crime series ''Mrs Sidhu Investigates''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Penwill |first1=Alice |title=ITV Emmerdale Nicky star shows off stunning physique with washboard abs |url=https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/itv-emmerdale-nicky-star-shows-32843247 |website=OK! |access-date=21 August 2025 |language=en |date=24 May 2024}}</ref> In August 2025, Cope was announced as a contestant on the twenty-third series of ''Strictly Come Dancing'', as a replacement for Kristian Nairn, who withdrew from the competition due to health issues.<ref name="bbc"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Emmerdale's Lewis Cope announced as Strictly contestant after Kristian Nairn withdraws |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2025-08-21/lewis-cope-announced-as-new-strictly-contestant-after-kristian-nairn-withdraws |website=ITV News |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> He was partnered with Katya Jones.<ref>{{cite news |title=Meet Lewis Cope: Strictly’s last-minute contestant swapping the Dales for the dance floor |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/strictly-come-dancing-lewis-cope-emmerdale-age-b2830410.html |access-date=22 September 2025 |work=The Independent}}</ref> They scored the series' first perfect score of 40, with a couple's choice dance in the Halloween special, with judge Anton du Beke describing the dance "as good as any we've ever seen on any series".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gajda |first=Krystyna |date=1 November 2025 |title=Strictly Come Dancing week six live: Lewis Cope tops Strictly's Halloween leaderboard as he clinches the first perfect score of this series |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c3w5jdzx8gjt |access-date=3 November 2025 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Cope and Jones became the ninth couple to be eliminated in week 11 after losing the dance-off to Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyxex7671xo|title=Strictly Come Dancing: Semi-finalists confirmed after latest elimination|date=7 December 2025|website=BBC News}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | 2010 | ''The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson'' | Various | 1 episode | align="center"|<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2013 | ''Got to Dance'' | Himself | Runner-up; series 4 | align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |title=Ruff Diamonds polishing their dance act for TV semi-final |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/10255986.hartlepools-ruff-diamonds-polishing-dance-act-tv-semi-final/ |website=The Northern Echo |access-date=21 August 2025 |language=en |date=27 February 2013}}</ref> |- | 2015 | ''A Six and Two Threes'' | Bully | Short film | align="center"|<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2018 | ''Waterbabies'' | Owen | Short film | align="center"|<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2019 | ''Hetty Feather'' | Wilfred | Episode: "The Return" | align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |title=Hetty Feather – Series 5: 1. The Return |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0004whs/hetty-feather-series-5-1-the-return?seriesId=b07bpj6l-structural-1-b05vt97h |website=BBC |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> |- | 2019 | ''Doctors'' | Tom Griffiths | Episode: "Trapped" | align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC One – Doctors, Series 22, Trapped |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wfrr |website=BBC |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> |- | 2021 | ''Vera'' | Marcus Hynde | Episode: "Witness" | align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |last1=Griffiths |first1=Eleanor Bley |title=Vera cast {{!}} Full list of cast and characters for series 14 |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/vera-cast/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> |- | 2022–2024 | ''Emmerdale'' | Nicky Miligan | Regular role | align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |title=Emmerdale to introduce new character as Home Farm tensions begin |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a42163959/emmerdale-spoilers-nicky-lewis-cope/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=21 August 2025 |date=6 December 2022}}</ref> |- | 2023 | ''Mrs Sidhu Investigates'' | Lenny Lowe | Episode: "On the Ropes" | align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |title=Mrs Sidhu Investigates: Series1, Episode 4 {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/mrs_sidhu_investigates/s01/e04 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=21 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref> |- | 2025 | ''Strictly Come Dancing'' | Himself | Contestant – 5th place; series 23 | align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |title=Strictly adds Emmerdale star to 2025 line-up following withdrawal |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a65863712/strictly-lewis-cope-emmerdale-kristian-nairn-replacement/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=21 August 2025 |date=21 August 2025}}</ref> |- |}
==Stage== {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- | 2008–2009 | ''Billy Elliot the Musical'' | Michael | align="center" |<ref>{{cite web |title=London's Billy Elliot to Welcome New Billy Plus Riding and Caffrey |url=https://playbill.com/article/londons-billy-elliot-to-welcome-new-billy-plus-riding-and-caffrey-com-155624 |website=Playbill |access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> |- | 2017 | ''Richard III'' | Henry VI / Richmond | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2017 | ''Punk Rock'' | Nicholas | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2017 | ''Macbeth'' | Banquo | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2018 | ''The Night Watch'' | Duncan | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2018 | ''Spilt'' | Chase | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2018 | ''Candide'' | Ben | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2019 | ''F$%k Magical Michael'' | D | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2019 | ''Witness for the Prosecution'' | Leonard Vole | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |- | 2022 | ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' | Brom "Bones" Van Brunt | align="center" |<ref name="spotlight" /> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|7649814}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cope, Lewis}} Category:1995 births Category:21st-century English actors Category:21st-century British dancers Category:Actors from Hartlepool Category:English male dancers Category:English male soap opera actors Category:English male stage actors Category:English male television actors Category:Living people Category:Male actors from County Durham Category:Participants in British reality television series Category:People educated at English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College Category:English male musical theatre actors Category:English male child actors