He didn’t disappear after the shock exit — he regrouped, stayed quiet, and waited while the spotlight moved on — and now the Strictly favourite many assumed had been quietly sidelined is already stepping into his first acting role since leaving the ballroom, a swift and unexpected comeback that’s reignited fan excitement and sparked whispers backstage about a second project already being discussed, leaving viewers to wonder whether the moment that sent him home may have secretly opened the door to an even bigger chapter still waiting just out of sight.

A STRICTLY Come Dancing favourite is back in action.

Following the shock elimination from the Strictly quarter-finals, the much-loved star has teased fans with a peek at his next big project.

The "Strictly Come Dancing" logo in gold, overlaid on a disco ball, surrounded by purple and pink light rays and confetti.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2025 star has teased news of a different roleCredit: BBC
A white card with "Lewis Cope" and "CAST #" sits above a pile of scripts with "THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO" and "FILMNATION" logos, next to a pink highlighter.
The actor has revealed a brand-new acting project following StrictlyCredit: Instagram/lewiscope

Taking to Instagram, former Emmerdale star Lewis Cope shared a “hush-hush” snap of a script read-through, followed by a beaming mirror selfie from the hair and makeup chair.

The upcoming project is with a big company called FilmNation who are behind an array of big TV and film hits.

Their back catalogue boasts work with A-listers, including Angelina Jolie‘s film Maria, Small Things Like These starring Cillian Murphy, Salma Hayek‘s Without Blood, Emmy-award winning I Know This Much is True, starring Mark Ruffalo, Small Town, Big Story starring Christina Hendricks and theatre smash hit Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer.

The 30-year-old model-actor admitted that since appearing on the BBC show, work offers have been “flooding in” from directors and producers.

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Alongside his fresh new gig, he recently delighted fans by confirming he’s back in the ballroom with pro Katya Jones soon.

The TV hunk is officially reuniting with his partner for the Strictly Come Dancing Live 2026 Tour, kicking off in Birmingham on January 23rd.

“I’m not ready to hang up my dancing shoes just yet! I am thrilled and honoured to continue my Strictly journey,” Lewis shared.

While he’ll miss a few tour dates due to his filming schedule, fans can’t wait to see him back on screen.

The actor played Nicky Miligan in Emmerdale, whose character exited the soap in 2024.

Nicky and his father Caleb joined the Dingle family in 2022 as the newest members and he quickly become a fan-favourite.

He also appeared on shows including Vera, Doctors and Hetty Feather before landing his dream soap opera role.

Lewis’ first acting role was when he was just 11 years old, in Billy Elliot: The Musical in London’s West End.

He most recently captured the hearts of the nation on Strictly Come Dancing 2025.

Lewis and Katya’s elimination was one of the most shocking in Strictly history.

They had regularly landed at the top of the leaderboard and had been considered favourites to win.

However, their experience was also dogged by Lewis’s dance past, having trained in performing and reaching the final of Sky dance competition Got To Dance.

He was voted off the BBC One show two weeks before the final after landing in the bottom two with Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, leaving fans devastated.

Fans of the show were left gutted by the shock result in the quarter-final.

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Lewis comes from a large family of 14 children and has been dating Rachel Lopez – an actress and pilates instructor – for around seven years.

Publicity photo of Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas.
Lewis is working with a production company responsible for Angelina Jolie’s movie MariaCredit: Alamy
Lewis Cope at the "Avatar: Fire And Ash" UK premiere.
The former soap star has been flooded with work offers since appearing on the BBC showCredit: Splash
Lewis Cope and Katya Jones performing on Strictly Come Dancing.
Lewis and Katya Jones were favourites to win before being voted offCredit: PA
Lewis Cope from Strictly Come Dancing 2025 smiling in a blue lace top and blue trousers, with confetti falling around him.
The star of stage and screen captured the hearts of the nation on 2025’s StrictlyCredit: PA