Lewis Cope has rapidly emerged as one of Britain’s most watchable young actors, blending a foundation in dance and theatre with a growing screen presence in television dramas and soaps. Best known to mainstream audiences for his role as Nicky Miligan in Emmerdale, Cope’s career arc spans West End beginnings in Billy Elliot, a portfolio of stage credits, and a 2025 pivot into prime-time entertainment as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.
This article explores his biography, early life and training, acting and theatre work, Emmerdale storyline and exit, recent announcements, and the top questions people search about him especially around YouTube interviews, age, background, and what’s next.
Early Life, Family, and Training
Cope was born on 19 March 1995 in Hartlepool, County Durham, and grew up in a large family he has 13 siblings, a detail that often surprises fans and underscores his grounded upbringing in the North East of England. He attended English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College before training at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, one of the UK’s most respected conservatoires for performance. The combination of comprehensive schooling and classical acting training would later show in his comfort moving between stage and screen roles, as well as his readiness for physically demanding performance, including dance.
His stage journey began remarkably early: at the age of 13, he successfully auditioned for the role of Michael in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical, an early benchmark that placed him among a cohort of performers with strong dance discipline and stagecraft. That early experience became a springboard into television, short films, and a deepening set of theatre credits throughout his teens and twenties.
Early Career: From Billy Elliot to Dance and TV Appearances
Cope’s professional debut as Michael in Billy Elliot the Musical (2008) gave him a profile in London’s theatre scene while still a teenager, confirming both his dance ability and stage presence. Not long after, he appeared on the BBC sketch series The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson (2010), a format where versatility and timing are crucial—useful training for later character work in television.
Alongside acting, Cope pursued dance with high commitment. He joined Ruff Diamond, a hip-hop dance troupe that finished as runner-up in Sky One’s dance competition Got to Dance in 2013, a noteworthy achievement that keeps cropping up in profiles of his work and informs the excitement around his 2025 Strictly Come Dancing announcement. The combination of choreography, ensemble work, and live pressure cultivated through dance competitions would later serve him in both stage musicals and physically stylized theatre roles.
On screen, Cope began accumulating credits across shorts and television. He appeared in short films including A Six and Two Threes and Waterbabies, and he booked one-off television roles in Hetty Feather (2019), Doctors (2019), and Vera (2021) before landing his breakthrough soap role on Emmerdale. The IMDb filmography captures this buildup and indicates the steady rhythm of his screen work across the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Theatre Work: Classical Roles, Tours, and Courtroom Drama
The breadth of Cope’s theatre work is especially striking. After Billy Elliot, he developed a slate of stage credits that includes classical and contemporary roles: 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). These productions demonstrate a range from Shakespeare to courtroom drama to Gothic touring theatre demands that strengthen versatility.
Two highlights stand out frequently in profiles:
Witness for the Prosecution: Cope played Leonard Cole in Agatha Christie’s courtroom thriller, a role central to the play’s moral ambiguities and rhythm of testimony and doubt. The show’s immersive staging and audience proximity at London County Hall heighten the stakes for actors, and taking on the lead underscores trust in Cope’s capacity to anchor a high-profile production.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Touring productions demand stamina, consistency, and adaptability, qualities that dovetail with Cope’s dance background and long-form theatrical discipline. This touring experience strengthened his national profile ahead of Emmerdale. That theatre depth combined with his screen gateway roles set him up for a major recurring part in a long-running soap, where he would need to sustain a character across months of intersecting storylines and ensemble scenes.
Emmerdale: Introducing Nicky Miligan and the Big Reveal
Cope joined Emmerdale in December 2022 as Nicky Miligan, initially presented as a male nanny who turns up for an interview at Home Farm, working for Gabby Thomas and Dawn Fletcher’s children. Early scenes positioned Nicky as a love interest for Gabby, and he left his employment to pursue a relationship with her, culminating in a proposal despite Kim Tate’s disapproval.
The storyline took a dramatic turn in April 2023 when it was revealed that Nicky is the son of Caleb Miligan and the grandson of Frank Tate and Faith Dingle, an unannounced twist that re-linked him to two of Emmerdale’s most storied family lines. Cope remarked that he himself had not known about this reveal at the outset, suggesting that he approached the character initially as a straightforward love interest before the scripts unveiled deeper connections and motivations.
The character’s journey intertwined him with power dynamics at Home Farm and with staple families Tates and Dingles giving Cope material that spanned romance, deceit, and family drama. Emmerdale’s ensemble and fast-paced production schedule can be a trial by fire; Cope stood out in that crucible, earning public recognition that broadened his audience beyond theatre and guest appearances. Cope departed Emmerdale in July 2024, with Nicky leaving alongside his boyfriend Suni Sharma closing a chapter that began in misdirection but ended with a different personal arc and relationships, reflecting contemporary soap storytelling that actively revises characters’ trajectories over time.
Recognition and Awards Nominations
While soaps can sometimes overshadow broader achievements, Cope’s Emmerdale run generated formal notice. His performance as Nicky Miligan led to a nomination for the Rising Star Award at the 2023 National Television Awards, according to theatre coverage highlighting his screen-to-stage profile. It’s a sign of how the Emmerdale storyline, especially the Tate/Dingle lineage twist heightened interest in his work, encouraging audiences to follow him beyond the soap into stage and other screen roles.
Post-Emmerdale Screen Work and Appearances
After Emmerdale, Cope’s screen journey included an episode of the mystery-crime series Mrs Sidhu Investigates (2023), keeping him visible in crime/mystery programming where precise character work and episodic impact are key. His earlier credits in Vera and Doctors point to a steady presence in British TV’s drama ecosystem, and his short film work continues to appear in filmographies and profiles. This sustained screen activity set the stage for his most high-profile entertainment announcement of 2025.
Strictly Come Dancing 2025: A Late-Season Announcement
In August 2025, Cope was announced as a contestant for the twenty-third series of Strictly Come Dancing, entering the line-up as a late addition after Kristian Nairn withdrew due to health reasons. The BBC’s announcement emphasizes Cope’s Emmerdale visibility and his storied ties to Tate and Dingle families within the show’s lore, while also nodding to his dance past that began as a West End performer in Billy Elliot. News reports highlighted the timeline: the reveal took place on The One Show on August 21, 2025, positioning Cope as a replacement in a line-up already drawing attention from entertainment press.
Strictly is a high-stakes, high-reach platform; for Cope, it’s a chance to fuse his dance roots (Billy Elliot; Ruff Diamond’s Got to Dance runner-up finish) with live television charisma. It also reintroduced him to a broad audience following his 2024 Emmerdale exit, potentially accelerating casting momentum and public profile in both drama and entertainment formats.
Age, Birthday, and Background
As of August 2025, Lewis Cope is 30 years old, having been born on 19 March 1995. He is from Hartlepool, County Durham, and attended English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College before training at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. The North East background, large family, and early dance and stage experiences continue to inform interviews and profiles, framing his story as one rooted in community and craft.
Height and Physicality
While official pages often spotlight credits rather than personal stats, profiles routinely emphasize Cope’s dance training and stage physicality through Billy Elliot, Ruff Diamond, and theatre roles attributes that are set to be front and center on Strictly Come Dancing. Public databases maintain performance-focused details rather than exhaustive measurements; what stands out is the practical application of movement training in his career choices and opportunities.
YouTube Presence and Interviews
Fans frequently search for “Lewis Cope interview” or “Lewis Cope Lorraine” on YouTube, especially around Emmerdale plot twists and the Strictly announcement. A notable example is a Lorraine segment from May 2024 that circulated on YouTube, connecting to the period of his Emmerdale storyline and public promotion cycles.
These appearances often combine behind-the-scenes comments with broader visibility across daytime and entertainment shows, helping to consolidate a viewer base beyond soap audiences. Given the Strictly news in August 2025, additional interviews and rehearsal clips are likely to surface on BBC channels and entertainment programs as the season approaches, serving as a fresh wave of YouTube content that will be widely searched and shared.
Media Coverage and Publicity
The BBC’s announcement places Cope within a high-profile 2025 Strictly lineup, with The One Show reveal adding TV publicity weight to the news cycle. Entertainment outlets quickly amplified the late-entry angle, noting Kristian Nairn’s exit and framing Cope’s arrival as a timely and capable addition with a dance background. Theatre platforms also contextualized the move within his acting career, revisiting his Emmerdale run and stage roles while underscoring his NTA Rising Star nomination. This multi-vertical coverage (TV, theatre, entertainment news) builds a layered public narrative: soap actors with real dance roots return to the dance floor in primetime, fresh off a major storyline and exit.
FAQs
What role does Lewis Cope play in Emmerdale?
Lewis Cope plays Nicky Miligan, who was first introduced as the new nanny in Home Farm. Over time, his character became central to major storylines, particularly his involvement in the Tate family’s drama and his relationship with Gabby Thomas.
Lewis Cope on social media?
Lewis Cope does not appear to be highly active on social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter, unlike many other actors. Fans usually follow updates about him through Emmerdale’s official pages, interviews, and media outlets.
What’s next for Lewis Cope’s career?
Lewis Cope continues to appear in Emmerdale as of 2025. Given his talent and rising popularity, it is expected that he may land more roles in British dramas, theatre productions, or even international projects in the near future.
Does he have any connection to David Beckham?
Yes! Beckham personally chose Lewis to appear in his 2020 fragrance campaign for Bold Instinct, impressed by his story of dancing while many family members boxed. Entertainment Daily. Lewis also modeled for Beckham’s eyewear line and is part of the exclusive Soho House membership, often enjoying its luxurious locations.
In Summary
Lewis Cope has quickly become one of the most talked-about young actors in the UK, thanks to his breakout role in Emmerdale, his extensive stage background, and his impressive versatility as both an actor and dancer. From starting out in Billy Elliot at a young age to now stepping onto the Strictly Come Dancing stage in 2025, his career shows a steady rise marked by talent, determination, and charisma.
Beyond his professional achievements, Lewis’s personal journey from growing up in a large family of boxers to carving out his own unique path in performing arts adds depth to his public image. His recognition by icons like David Beckham and his popularity among fans make him a rising star to watch closely. With a strong mix of acting, dancing, and modeling, plus a growing presence in both television and theatre, Lewis Cope is set to continue making headlines and inspiring audiences. Whether on the stage, screen, or dance floor, his story is only just beginning.
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