LEWIS COPE is the replacement contestant to be named for Strictly Come Dancing 2025, but little is known about him.
Cope was named as the newest face to take to the dance floor after Kristian Nairn made a shock exit.
Lewis Cope was brought in to replace Kristian Nairn[/caption]
Who is Lewis Cope?
The dedicated Strictly-heads were sent into shear panic when Nairn withdrew, concerned about whether they would be one-celeb down this year.
Fortunately, later that day, the Game of Thrones star’s replacement was revealed on The One Show.
Strictly Come Dancing has a long history of taking lesser-known actors and launching their careers into the prime time, and Lewis Cope could have the same outcome.
If you’re not a regular ITV viewer, you probably will not know about Cope’s role as Nicky Milligan in Emmerdale, for which he was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2023 National Television Awards.
The Hartlepool actor has also made several appearances on Vera and the BBC’s Doctors.
On stage, Lewis has played the lead role of Leonard Vole in the Olivier-nominated Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution, has toured the UK in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and, at the age of 11, he made his stage debut playing Michael in the West End smash Billy Elliot: The Musical.
The latter will be music to the ears of dance fans, as this will mean Cope may have a natural rhythm and ability from his time in the dance-heavy West End role.
What’s more, Cope is not the first Emmerdale star to be brought of the Strictly subs bench, with 2019 winner Kelvin Fletcher being brought in following an injury to Jamie Laing.
With that pedigree and history in mind, there’s a lot of pressure on the young actor, and that’s without the Strictly curse.
Lewis Cope has years of dance experience before he joined Emmerdale.[/caption]
Who is Lewis Cope’s girlfriend Rachel Maya Lopez?
Having said that, the Strictly curse will be at the back of the young actor’s mind, who seems incredibly loved up with his girlfriend Rachel Lopez.
Cope and Lopez have been together for around seven years and regularly share glamorous posts of them galavanting around the UK and the world.
Rachel Maya Lopez is Lewis Cope’s long-term girlfriend[/caption]
Rachel, who is from Ireland, is also in the acting world as well as being a professional Pilates instructor.
They have been together for seven years[/caption]
When is Strictly starting?
This year, the show will kicked off on Saturday 20th September with the usual pre-recorded launch show.
Stars were paired up with their professional partners for the very first time, as well as taking on a group routine to show off their moves.
The Strictly is now always pre-recorded[/caption]
The main run of Saturday live shows will then kicks off on Saturday, September 27.
The first pre-recorded Sunday results show will be screened on Sunday 5 October.
