Strictly Come Dancing contestant Lewis Cope has defended himself against claims that his previous dance experience gives him an unfair advantage, after scoring the series' first perfect 10 during Movie Week. The former Emmerdale star and his professional partner Katya Jones impressed the judges with their Paso Doble to The Plaza of Execution from The Mask of Zorro, topping the weekend leaderboard.
Cope, who began his career in the West End production of Billy Elliot and later reached the final of Got To Dance, has faced criticism from some viewers who suggest he has an edge over fellow celebrities. However, he has hit back, stating: 'I don't really know where all that came from, to be honest. I trained as an actor, I danced a bit when I was a teen, but haven't since. It's only ever really been acting for me for a long, long time.'
Emphasising that his last formal dance instruction was at age 11, Cope told Metro: 'I don't really take notice of it though – everyone's so strong, and anyone can pull out a brilliant performance at any point.' He added that being called a professional dancer is 'an insult' to the show's pros, who have dedicated their lives to dance.
Dr Kathryn Stamp, a Strictly expert, previously defended Cope in an exclusive interview, saying: 'It's a challenging one because there are certain skills that come from learning a body-based activity, but then you could say the same for sports people... it's not an immediate factor.' She noted that many contestants with dance backgrounds have not performed well on the show.
Cope joined the Strictly line-up as a replacement for Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn. He said at the time: 'I'm so excited to be swapping the Dales for the dance floor and joining this year's Strictly Come Dancing. I've always been a fan of the show and cannot wait to get started!'
