They’re stunning audiences with their breathtaking routines, recently scoring the first 10 of the series with their fiery paso doble. Former Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, who played Nicky Miligan in the soap, and his pro partner, show stalwart Katya Jones, have already made their mark on Strictly Come Dancing.
As we catch up with the photogenic pair during a glamorous shoot in East London, peppered with jokes and their penchant for bursting into song at every turn (apparently it’s a thing in rehearsals), they already look like a tight unit — one that could potentially go all the way to the final.
Here, as we speak before they head off for a day’s training, 30-year-old Lewis — who’s been in a relationship with Rachel Maya Lopez, an actress and Pilates instructor from Ireland for eight years — and Russian-born Katya, 36, open up about performance jitters, the chatter about Lewis’s dance experience, and his family’s garden bar which has been “Strictly-fied” so the gang can watch their boy in action together…
Hi, you two. You seem to have formed a lovely bond already…
Katya: It’s been lovely — I’ve already met Lewis’s family, his lovely nana, who’s come to watch. We’ve been working so hard. Rehearsal days are long, so we always try to find time to get out for a walk or a coffee and a chat, that’s important. It’s just a TV show — not the world championships, you know!
What’s Katya like as a teacher?
Lewis: I honestly thought she was going to be worse…
Katya: Everyone thinks that! Is that permission for me to go harder then?
Lewis: No! She’s actually very fair — she knows when to dig deep, and when to give you a bit of space.
Is Strictly nerve-wracking, Lewis? In terms of people getting to know the real you…
Lewis: It’s actually really freeing. For the last 10, 12 years, all I’ve done is inhabited another character and played somebody else. Now, just being myself, and being able to express myself physically as well, has been liberating.
And how does your girlfriend Rachel feel about you doing this?
Lewis: She’s over the moon, she’s just happy for me. Rachel’s a super supporter — she’s making my dinners, sending me off with a packed lunch for my rehearsals… We managed to squeeze in a little holiday in Naxos, Greece, before the show and she booked us a studio over there, and she was getting me moving and doing Pilates and things!
Are you or Katya scared of the Strictly judges’ feedback?
Lewis: We’re focusing on each other and the dance — I honestly try to block out everything else.
Katya: I always say, focus on us — it’s the only way. Celebs react differently, and Lewis has already proved to me that he’s solid, grounded. He has a really strong outlook.
You’re favourites to win — do you dare to think you could go all the way?
Katya: There’s potential… however, it’s essentially up to the audience! All we can control is putting on a fabulous routine every weekend and for me to showcase Lewis. It’s like when the judges suggested we should have reined it in a bit on his first jive. Why hide that talent? To me, that would be criminal!
How do you feel about the comments about your dance experience, Lewis?
Lewis: 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.
This is the first time I’ve been inside a dance studio for 12 years. And now that 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.
Katya: It’s lovely. Lewis told me that dancing again, he’d forgotten how amazing it makes him feel, how it affects him emotionally.
You’re also one of the show’s heartthrobs, Lewis…
Lewis: Oh God, I can’t even take that on board, ha! You know what’s very sweet, though? In the local Hartlepool group page on Facebook, some mam had written that her six-year-old son had watched me dance on Saturday night, and now he wanted to go to dance classes so was there anywhere in the town he could go to? My nephew wants to start lessons now after watching. That kind of impact means a lot.
Lewis, you were a stand-in [after Kristian Nairn left]. Can you tell us about that call?
Lewis: 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.
Other last-minute competitors have gone on to do really well, like Kelvin Fletcher…
Lewis: I’m old news now though, Amber Davies is the new big thing!
What are the other contestants like?
Lewis: It sounds clichéd, but everyone’s so lovely, we all really get on. It feels a bit like Christmas getting back together every weekend, there’s such a nice energy. I’m enjoying the banter I’m having with Chris [Robshaw] and Harry [Aikines-Aryeetey] as I keep joking that they need to get in the gym with me, but not had much luck. Who knows? Maybe they just don’t want to train with me.
Some celebrities battle crippling anxiety, like Vicky Pattison…
Lewis: Oh, I know. Bless her. I really get on with Vicky. I don’t know if it’s a North Eastern thing, but we really click. I geton with everyone, though. Ellie [Goldstein] and I did a Christmas commercial in 2018 and she’s brilliant. La Voix is so much fun, so quick-witted. And Tess [Daly] and Claudia [Winkleman] have that motherly vibe — they put you at ease.
Have your former Emmerdale co-stars been supportive, Lewis?
Lewis: Claire King messaged me saying, “I know it’s a bit mad — just throw everything at it and just enjoy it.” Beth Cordingly, who plays my mam, and Will Ash, who plays my dad, want to come to the studios soon.
Your family must be excited, too. Is it true that you’re one of 14 siblings?
Lewis: It is! 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!
There’s huge Team Cope support then…
Lewis: Oh, we have a bar in our family garden and you should see it now — it’s been totally Strictly-fied! Glitterballs everywhere — there’s a huge family get-together in there every Saturday. My family are so excited I’m in the show, especially Nana Dot.
Katya: She’s adorable, she never stopped smiling when she came to the studio!