Strictly Come Dancing star Lewis Cope baffled by 'professional dancer' claims
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Lewis Cope says the BBC show is the first time he has danced for over a decade amid suggestions that his performance background gives him an unfair advantage over other stars on the show.
Lewis Cope is puzzled by claims that he is a "professional dancer".
The former Emmerdale actor is one of the favourites to win Strictly Come Dancing but is perplexed when people say his performance background gives him an advantage on the BBC Latin and Ballroom competition as he finds it "a bit of an insult" to professional dancers such as his partner Katya Jones.
Speaking to OK! magazine, Lewis said: "It's strange to hear that I'm some kind of 'professional dancer'.
"It's been so long since I danced, and I never trained professionally. I did Billy Elliot The Musical when I was 11, but I wasn't good enough to play Billy Elliot, so I played Michael and just did some tap dance.
"After that, I joined a hip-hop dance crew where I did hip-hop with a group of six lads back in Hartlepool, we did amateur competitions. Then I went on to train to be an actor and I've only ever acted since."
He added: "This is the first time I've been inside a dance studio for 12 years. And now I'm working with people who are actually pro dancers like Katya, it feels like a bit of an insult to those guys. They've dedicated their lives to this and they're incredible."
Lewis joined the Strictly line-up as a late replacement for Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn – who withdrew from the show due to illness – and explained that he had to cancel a holiday to take part in the programme.
The 30-year-old star recalled: "On the Monday evening I got a call from my agent saying, 'I know this is out of the blue, but how do you feel about going to the Strictly studios tomorrow evening and dancing with one of the pros?'
"I just said yes, went along and met the producers, had a dance with one of the pros – and they said, 'OK, so what are you doing for the next couple of months?'
"I said, 'I'm meant to be going on holiday on Saturday for three weeks – but it can be changed!'
"I went for a medical the next morning, then I got a call from my agent saying that I'd got the job."
Lewis is one of 14 siblings and hopes to stay in Strictly for long enough so that all of his brothers and sisters can see him dance in the flesh.
He said: "I have eight brothers and five sisters. That's a lot of visits to Elstree to try and dish out – let's hope I stay!"
