Lewis Cope Strictly Come Dancing: Emmerdale star drafted into dance show to replace Kristian Nairn after withdrawal
A soap star has been drafted in to replace a Strictly contestant who has had to pull out of this year’s competition because of medical reasons.
Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope will now take to the floor instead of Game Of Thrones star Kristian Nairn.
On Thursday, Nairn announced he was leaving the 2025 show cast with a “heavy heart” for medical reasons, according to the BBC.
Announcing his participation on BBC One’s The One Show later that day, Cope said the programme had got in contact on Monday asking if he wanted to join this year’s series.
The actor, who played Nicky Milligan in the soap, said he was walking down Oxford Street on his way to meet a friend when he received the phone call.
Asked how it felt to be joining the series late, Cope said: “I think, if anything, it’s probably helped me because I haven’t really had time to think about it or anything so now the excitement has kind of just taken over.”
“I think it’s probably better for me,” he added.
Cope said he was looking to most impress judge Shirley Ballas out of the show’s panel.
Who is Lewis Cope?
Lewis Cope, according to an Emmerdale fan site, was born in Hartlepool in County Durham and is 30. He played Nicky Milligan in Emmerdale from December 2022 to July 2024 and was revealed to be part of the Tate and Dingle families.
He attended The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama from 2015 to 2018.
Cope was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2023 National Television Awards for his role in Emmerdale, and has also appeared in Doctors. Vera, Miss Sidhu Investigates, and Hetty Feather. He has also had stage roles in Witness for the Prosecution, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and as a child was in the West End show Billy Elliot: The Musical.
What has Kristian Nairn said?
Nairn, 49, is best known for playing Hodor in the HBO fantasy series Game Of Thrones, and also starred as Wee John Feeney in comedy Our Flag Means Death.
In a statement, Nairn said: “I was truly looking forward to the journey, and I’m deeply sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking forward to seeing me on the dance floor.
“Thank-you all for your support, and I will be back on my feet very soon, in every sense. Love to all, Kristian.”
Sarah James, executive producer at BBC Studios, said of the actor and DJ: “We’re incredibly sorry to lose him from this year’s series and we all wish him a speedy recovery.”
Cope joins former Lioness Karen Carney, Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison and Love Island’s Dani Dyer-Bowen who have already been announced for the new series.
Podcast host and YouTube star George Clarke, former England rugby player Chris Robshaw and Olympian and Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey are also set to join the 2025 show.
Strictly, hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in September, with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas as judges.