Lewis Cope is an English actor and dancer whose career has moved across theatre, television drama and prime-time entertainment. He became widely recognised for playing Nicky Milligan in ITV’s Emmerdale, but his experience as a performer began much earlier. Before becoming a familiar television face, Cope appeared on the West End stage, competed as part of a hip-hop dance group and completed professional acting training. These different experiences have given his career a broader foundation than his best-known soap role might initially suggest.

Born on 19 March 1995 in Hartlepool, County Durham, Cope is 31 years old as of 2026. His television profile expanded considerably after Emmerdale, especially when he joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2025 and partnered professional dancer Katya Jones. He has since returned his attention to scripted acting, with a major role in the six-part drama Forever Home. The project is particularly relevant to anyone looking for the latest Lewis Cope news because first-look material for the series was released in August 2026.

Who Is Lewis Cope?

Lewis Cope is primarily known as an actor, although dance has been an important part of his professional story. He was raised in Hartlepool and grew up in a large family before entering the performing arts at a young age. His early experiences eventually took him from North East England to professional theatre and then into formal drama training. Rather than finding success through a single breakthrough, he gradually built experience in several areas of performance before television roles brought his work to a larger national audience.

His career today includes soap drama, crime television, children’s drama, theatre and entertainment programming. Cope has appeared in productions including Hetty Feather, Doctors, Vera, Mrs Sidhu Investigates and Emmerdale. He has also worked on stage in productions such as Witness for the Prosecution and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This range is useful when understanding why the keyword “Lewis Cope” is associated with more than one type of search: some viewers know him from Emmerdale, while others discovered him through Strictly Come Dancing or his earlier performance work.

Early Life, Dance Experience and Acting Training

Cope’s connection with performance began during childhood when he appeared as Michael in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical. He later became involved in hip-hop and joined the dance troupe Ruff Diamond. The group competed in Sky One’s Got to Dance and reached the final in 2013, finishing as runners-up. Although this early dance experience later became a major talking point during his time on Strictly, it belonged to a different style of movement from the ballroom and Latin techniques required by the BBC competition.

Cope subsequently focused more heavily on acting and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. That training helped establish the next phase of his career, which included both stage and screen work. One notable theatre role was Leonard Vole in Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall. His professional profile also records work in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow alongside several screen credits. The transition from dance into formal dramatic training is an important part of his biography because it explains how his career developed beyond childhood musical theatre.

Emmerdale and Lewis Cope’s Acting Career

The role that significantly increased Lewis Cope’s television recognition was Nicky Milligan in Emmerdale. Cope appeared as a series regular in the ITV soap between 2022 and 2024. Nicky initially arrived at Home Farm before the programme revealed deeper connections between the character and Caleb Milligan, played by William Ash. The storyline placed Cope within one of the soap’s prominent family narratives and gave him sustained exposure to a large television audience rather than the guest appearances that had formed part of his earlier screen career.

His work on Emmerdale also brought industry recognition, including a nomination for the Rising Star Award at the National Television Awards. Outside the soap, his television credits include Lenny Lowe in Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Marcus Hynde in Vera, Private Wilfred Sturgess in Hetty Feather and Tom Griffiths in Doctors. These roles demonstrate that Emmerdale was an important breakthrough rather than the beginning of his acting career. Cope had already spent years developing experience across stage productions, television appearances and professional training before becoming Nicky Milligan.

Lewis Cope on Strictly Come Dancing 2025

Cope joined the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing as a late addition to the celebrity cast after Kristian Nairn withdrew. He was paired with Katya Jones, and his previous dance experience quickly became part of the public discussion surrounding his participation. Cope explained during the series that his earlier work mainly involved hip-hop rather than ballroom and Latin dancing. Whatever advantage his background may have provided in performance confidence, his results on Strictly showed that he adapted successfully to the programme’s different technical demands.

One of the defining moments of his run came during Halloween Week, when Cope and Jones received the first perfect score of 40 of the 2025 series for their Couple’s Choice routine to Radiohead’s “Creep.” They later earned another perfect 40 at Blackpool for their Charleston to “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” by Arctic Monkeys. Their competition ended in Week 11 after a dance-off against Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, with the judges saving Davies and Kuzmin for the semi-final. Cope therefore left before the final, but only after becoming one of the season’s highest-scoring performers.

Lewis Cope’s Latest Projects and 2026 Update

Cope’s latest significant acting development is Forever Home, a six-part television adaptation of Graham Norton’s novel. His professional representation confirms that he plays Kaden Barrie throughout the series. The wider cast includes Amy Nuttall, Douglas Henshall, Denise Welch, Kevin Whately, Jenny Walser and Shane Zaza. The drama centres on Carol Crottie and Robert Barrie, whose home and family history become connected to disturbing secrets as questions emerge about the disappearance of Robert’s first wife.

The project has moved beyond its initial announcement. On 11 August 2026, the Royal Television Society reported that 5 had released first-look images from Forever Home, including Cope as Kaden Barrie. The broadcaster has not yet announced a confirmed television transmission date, with current official-related information describing the drama as coming soon. A North East premiere of the first episode is also scheduled at Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema for 4 September 2026. Until 5 announces a broadcast date, it is more accurate to describe Forever Home as an upcoming project rather than give readers an unconfirmed release date.

Conclusion

Lewis Cope has developed a career that combines several areas of performance rather than relying on a single television role. His early experience in Billy Elliot the Musical and with Ruff Diamond introduced him to professional performance, while his later training at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama helped establish acting as the main direction of his career. Roles in productions such as Doctors, Vera and Mrs Sidhu Investigates preceded or accompanied the breakthrough that came from playing Nicky Milligan in Emmerdale.

His appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2025 brought his dance background back into focus and introduced him to another large television audience. In 2026, however, the emphasis has shifted back toward acting through his role as Kaden Barrie in Forever Home. With first-look images now released and the drama moving closer to its television debut, the project represents the clearest current development in Lewis Cope career. His professional history so far shows a progression from childhood performance to established television work, with both acting and dance continuing to shape how audiences know him.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Lewis Cope?
Lewis Cope is an English actor and dancer best known for playing Nicky Milligan in Emmerdale and competing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2025.

How old is Lewis Cope?
Lewis Cope was born on 19 March 1995, making him 31 years old in 2026.

Who did Lewis Cope play in Emmerdale?
He played Nicky Milligan, appearing as a series regular from 2022 to 2024.

Was Lewis Cope a dancer before Strictly?
Yes. He performed in Billy Elliot the Musical as a child and later competed with hip-hop troupe Ruff Diamond on Got to Dance.

What is Lewis Cope doing in 2026?
He is appearing as Kaden Barrie in the upcoming six-part drama Forever Home, based on Graham Norton’s novel.