Lewis Cope

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. He attended both English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College and Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. In 2010, he appeared in the BBC sketch show The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson. 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. 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). 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).

In 2022, Cope joined the cast of the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as Nicky Miligan. 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). He departed the soap in July 2024, with the character leaving alongside boyfriend Suni Sharma (Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana).

In 2023, Cope appeared in an episode of the mystery crime series Mrs Sidhu Investigates. 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. He was partnered with Katya Jones. 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". Cope and Jones became the ninth couple to be eliminated in week 11 after losing the dance-off to Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2010 The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson Various 1 episode 2015 A Six and Two Threes Bully Short film 2019 Doctors Tom Griffiths Episode: "Trapped" 2021 Vera Marcus Hynde Episode: "Witness" 2022–2024 Emmerdale Nicky Miligan Regular role 2023 Mrs Sidhu Investigates Lenny Lowe Episode: "On the Ropes" 2025 Strictly Come Dancing Himself Contestant – 5th place; series 23

Stage Year Title Role 2008–2009 Billy Elliot the Musical Michael 2017 Richard III Henry VI / Richmond 2017 Punk Rock Nicholas 2017 Macbeth Banquo 2018 The Night Watch Duncan 2018 Spilt Chase 2018 Candide Ben 2019 F$%k Magical Michael D 2019 Witness for the Prosecution Leonard Vole 2022 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Brom "Bones" Van Brunt