Lewis Cope, a Hartlepool-born actor and dancer, has come full circle in his career. The 30-year-old, who made his West End debut at just 13 years old as part of the cast of Billy Elliot the Musical, has reflected on how his early experiences shaped him into the person he is today.
Growing up with a large family of 14 - eight brothers and five sisters - Cope was accustomed to chaos. Despite his initial reluctance to dance, his mum encouraged him to take lessons when he was younger. This decision would prove pivotal in shaping his future career. "I hated it at first, but I figured I might as well give it a go," he recalls.
At secondary school, Cope stopped dancing, feeling that it wasn't cool and wanting to fit in with his peers. However, this fear led him to miss out on a life-changing audition for Billy Elliot, which ultimately opened doors to the world of professional dance.
Fast forward to today, and Cope is performing in the Strictly Come Dancing live tour, something he never could have imagined as an 11-year-old boy. Despite facing self-doubt and moments of uncertainty throughout his career, Cope has persevered and continues to chase his dreams.
Cope credits his mum with instilling in him a strong sense of resilience and determination. Her influence can be seen in the way he approaches challenges, whether it's landing a role on Emmerdale or navigating the pressures of Strictly. "My mum always said I was very strong-minded," Cope explains. "If I decided to do something, then I would do it."
As for his time on Emmerdale and Strictly, Cope has revealed that these experiences have brought him a sense of fulfillment and joy he never thought possible. He credits his dance partner Katya Jones with helping him stay focused and motivated throughout the competition.
Cope's journey serves as a testament to the power of hard work, determination, and believing in oneself. As someone who was once on the cusp of giving up on his dreams, Cope's story is an inspiration to anyone chasing their aspirations.
Growing up with a large family of 14 - eight brothers and five sisters - Cope was accustomed to chaos. Despite his initial reluctance to dance, his mum encouraged him to take lessons when he was younger. This decision would prove pivotal in shaping his future career. "I hated it at first, but I figured I might as well give it a go," he recalls.
At secondary school, Cope stopped dancing, feeling that it wasn't cool and wanting to fit in with his peers. However, this fear led him to miss out on a life-changing audition for Billy Elliot, which ultimately opened doors to the world of professional dance.
Fast forward to today, and Cope is performing in the Strictly Come Dancing live tour, something he never could have imagined as an 11-year-old boy. Despite facing self-doubt and moments of uncertainty throughout his career, Cope has persevered and continues to chase his dreams.
Cope credits his mum with instilling in him a strong sense of resilience and determination. Her influence can be seen in the way he approaches challenges, whether it's landing a role on Emmerdale or navigating the pressures of Strictly. "My mum always said I was very strong-minded," Cope explains. "If I decided to do something, then I would do it."
As for his time on Emmerdale and Strictly, Cope has revealed that these experiences have brought him a sense of fulfillment and joy he never thought possible. He credits his dance partner Katya Jones with helping him stay focused and motivated throughout the competition.
Cope's journey serves as a testament to the power of hard work, determination, and believing in oneself. As someone who was once on the cusp of giving up on his dreams, Cope's story is an inspiration to anyone chasing their aspirations.
but like seriously his mum was super supportive and she played such a huge role in him finding himself again. i love how he's not afraid to talk about his struggles with self doubt, we all need reminders that even the toughest seem to have been there too 
. I mean who needs cool factor when you've got talent, right? 
His story is so inspiring especially growing up in a big family of 14 chaos would be normal lol! But seriously though it's amazing how his mum helped shape him into the person he is today 
. And can we talk about how far he's come from thinking dance isn't cool to becoming a pro dancer? 
That self-doubt and uncertainty are something I think we all go through at some point but it's how you overcome them that matters 
I mean, have you seen Lewis Cope on Strictly? He's so humble about it all - like, he was literally dropped from Billy Elliot as a kid because he thought dance wasn't cool lol! 
But for real though, his mum must've been the real MVP. Like, she saw something in him that nobody else did and pushed him to pursue his passion even when he didn't wanna. 
. I think it's also so cool that he didn't give up even when things got tough, especially with all those self-doubts creeping in. His mum's influence is really inspiring - she sounds like an amazing person who instilled confidence in him from a young age 
. And can we talk about how proud his whole family must be of him right now? I'm just rooting for this talented guy and sending him lots of love for the rest of his career 
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The fact that his mum pushed him to dance in the first place is definitely a big factor in his success, but what about all the other talented kids out there who weren't so lucky? It's like, we're always talking about how 'hard work' and 'determination' will get you far, but what about privilege and opportunity? 
his mum sounds pretty cool tho, instilling in him that strong sense of resilience and determination is key 
! I mean, can you even believe he went from not liking dance at all to becoming a pro dancer and performing on Strictly? 
. also, Katya Jones is a great dance partner but not sure if lewis has the chemistry with her... Strictly Come Dancing live tour is still going strong tho 
. and what's with everyone saying he was "strong-minded" from his mum? idk if thats a thing or not, but its just some weird phrase that makes me roll my eyes 
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his mum was always his rock, that's def true! i mean who else would encourage u 2 keep dancin when u hate it at first? 
his mum is way too perfect lol like she's the real brains behind him isn't she? all that talk about resilience and determination sounds super rehearsed to me 
and what's up with him being on strictli come dancing at 30? was he just chillin for years before suddenly becoming a pro dancer? 
. It's crazy he went from hated dance lessons as a kid to performing in Strictly now 
, she definitely played a big role in shaping him into the person he is today. I love how he talks about believing in himself and staying focused - it's so true for anyone chasing their dreams