Axed Strictly star says ‘it’ll take time to get over’

Strictly Come Dancing star Lewis Cope has admitted it will take ‘time to get over’ his painful surprise elimination from the show on Sunday night.

Fans were left in shock saying goodbye to the latest celebrity eliminated from the BBC One competition, after a jaw-dropping dance off saw the Emmerdale star become the ninth star to the leave Strictly 2025 alongside his partner Katya Jones.

The pair were in the bottom two alongside Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin – who came top of the leaderboard – during Sunday night’s Musicals Week results show.

All four judges decided to save Amber and Nikita, who scored a perfect 40 on Saturday, leaving Lewis and Katya bidding farewell to their time in the competition.

Appearing on Strictly companion show It Takes Two to reflect on their journey with the competition on Monday night, Lewis revealed: ‘We’re just trying to focus on the positives really. It’s been an amazing 11 weeks.’

He added: ‘Of course it hurts and it’ll take a bit of time to get over, but I’m really proud of what we’ve done.’

Katya shared: ‘I wouldn’t do anything any differently, we stayed true to ourselves with each number and a lot of my life I was told, “less Katya, less,” but finally – I just needed the right dance partner to match that!’

The 30-year-old actor also shared that his big family – he has 13 siblings – were ‘gutted’ that he’d been axed during the quarter final.

Lewis and Katya’s salsa, which they performed to Dance at the Gym from West Side Story, received 35 points from the judges, placing them in joint second place with George Clarke and Alexis Warr and Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon.

After a sweet message from Lewis’s beloved Nana Dot and watching back footage, pro dancer Katya was reduced to tears and confessed: ‘Looking back, I can’t help but to think oh maybe I could have done things differently to make it work for him better…’

Lewis then insisted that she ‘did everything perfect’ before Katya continued: ‘But he can only do what I asked him to do, and whatever I asked him to do, he didn’t do just this time but every single day.

Of their strong performances – the couple topped the leaderboard twice – Katya added: ‘And we were in a tough position. I feel like we were expected to deliver these almost perfect showstopping routines every single Saturday – which you did! I don’t know how, but you did.’

Sadly it wasn’t enough to save them at the weekend.       

Speaking about his time on the show on Sunday, Lewis told presenter Tess Daly: ‘It’s been more than I could have ever wished for.’

He went on: ‘It’s been incredible and a memory that I’ll have for the rest of my life, and [to Katya] I think it’s all down to you. You’ve literally given me absolutely everything I could wish for as a friend, as a teacher, and yeah, I couldn’t imagine it with anybody else.

‘So, thank you very much.’

Katya was equally complimentary and even said he’ll be remembered as ‘one of, if not, the best male celebrity we’ve ever had on the show’.

However the soap star’s departure has left some fans raging. El on X said: ‘Lewis and Katya, you take the spot of the most robbed couple in the history of this show.’

Kellie also despaired: ‘The thought of losing lewis and katya before seeing their argentine tango, american smooth and showdance is making me nauseous and ill.’

Chloe added: ‘When all is said and done I will sleep peacefully tonight knowing that at least lewis and katya gave us the best dance strictly has ever seen.’

‘Everyone switching Strictly off for the rest of the contest and probably for ever,’ said Tracey Noe, while Lorraine insisted: ‘Lewis was robbed. What on Earth??????’

This was in reference to the Charleston, which they performed during Strictly’s Blackpool week, receiving tens across the board.

Lewis had been a fan favourite on the show, despite initial accusations that he was a professionally trained dancer.

Speaking to PasarModern.com at the time, he said: ‘To call me professionally trained or a professional dancer seems a bit bizarre, especially now that I’m working with these pros on the show.

‘It’s kind of an insult to them, really, to suggest I’m on their level when they’ve dedicated their lives to becoming as brilliant as they are.’

Strictly Come Dancing returns on BBC One next Saturday at 6.35pm.

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