Strictly Fans Are Just Discovering That 1 Of This Year's Celebs Has More TV Dance Experience Than They Realised

Strictly Come Dancing star Lewis CopeStrictly Come Dancing fans are discovering that frontrunner Lewis Cope might have a bit more experience dancing on TV than they realised.The Emmerdale actor was a late addition to this year’s Strictly line-up, after being drafted in to replace Kristian Nairn at the eleventh hour when the Game Of Thrones star was forced to withdraw on medical grounds.During his introductory VT in Saturday’s launch show, Lewis made no secret of the fact that he’s danced professionally in the past, most notably appearing as the title character in the West End musical Billy Elliott as a child.“When I was 11, I was in Billy Elliott in the West End, which was quite relevant to my life – my brothers were boxing, and I was dancing,” he remarked.However, what you might not have known is that Strictly isn’t his first time competing on a TV dance show.Back in 2013, when he was still a teenager, Lewis was a contestant on the fourth season of the Sky reality competition Got To Dance, as part of the street dance troupe Ruff Diamond.The show was presented by Davina McCall, with Diversity’s Ashley Banjo, Pussycat Dolls performer Kimberley Wyatt and future Strictly star Aston Merrygold on the judging panel.And the discovery has generated a lot of conversation already among Strictly fans, with some questioning if he has an unfair advantage, and others pointing out that ballroom and Latin are still very different disciplines to street dance:I’m sick and tired of #Strictly having trained contestants on the show https://t.co/TvLwkDiZJY— Millie (@MillieSansoye) September 22, 2025He shouldn't be on the show then— Batcow (@batcow1239) September 22, 2025He is a fully trained dancer since he was 7 years old. Hes had a massive dance based career— KING OF AJMB PANTOLAND (@andymichelbacon) September 22, 2025😬😬😬 https://t.co/f7jo3FMEqJ— jade🎀 (@dreamofbuswell) September 23, 2025He was so obviously better than everyone else even in just that little dance on Saturday so it was very clear his previous dancing experience was extensive. He’s a pretty boy though so no doubt won’t get the same flack as a lot of the others who have had experience in the past.— Chris (@Will_SetYouFree) September 22, 2025I’m sure they pick one or two celebrities with dance experience every year to ensure at least a couple of half decent dances the first couple of weeks. They may even make it to the final but rarely, if ever, win. Fans tend to frown on it.— Deborah Bentham 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@BenthamDeborah) September 22, 2025And? It’s unlikely people have been to drama schools etc without doing any dance. It’s a light entertainment show not the world championships— TEM (@TMcD1986) September 22, 2025This is hip hop dancing, this isn't ANYTHING close to ballroom and latin. He's been very open about his past experience. And his inclusion is within the rules of the show. I expect you'll make similar posts about Dani, Balvinder, Karen and Ellie who all also have experience?— Siobhan 🇬🇬 (@slinehan1) September 22, 2025Why does everyone want all the celebs to be shit dancers, it's great when there's someone with experience cos then the performances are 🔥— Sia. (@Sias_Creations) September 22, 2025Lewis said of his own dance background: “I haven’t danced now for about 12 years, so I’m really excited now to get going with that again. I am just looking forward to learning new skills and pushing myself.”The BBC had no comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.Former Strictly champion Katya Jones will be Lewis’ partner on this year’s series, with the pair set to make their dance floor debut on Saturday night’s first live show.MORE STRICTLY:Thomas Skinner Breaks Silence After Walking Out Of Strictly Come Dancing Press LaunchStrictly Come Dancing Pro Dianne Buswell Announces She's Pregnant In Very Sweet VideoStrictly Pro Nadiya Bychkova Speaks Out After 'Really Scary' Rehearsal Accident Leads To Hospital Dash

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