Strictly’s Lewis Cope and partner Katya Jones put on a cosy display as they enjoyed a day out in Blackpool ahead of the ballroom special.
The actor, 30, and the professional dancer, 36, were in good spirits as they loaded up on carbs in a fish and chips shop.
Braving the freezing British weather, Lewis, who recently stepped out with his rarely-seen girlfriend Rachel Maya Lopez, cut a casual figure as he layered a navy coat over a coordinated shirt and trousers.
Meanwhile Katya wrapped up in a long grey coat which she teamed with a black fur scarf and chunky lace up boots.
The pair wondered around the seaside hotspot where Lewis was spotted wrapping his arm around Katya as she leaned on his shoulder.
The duo laughed away at each other as they tucked into chips at the counter of the fish and chips shop.
Strictly’s Lewis Cope and partner Katya Jones put on a cosy display as they enjoyed a day out in Blackpool ahead of the ballroom special
The actor, 30, and the professional dancer, 36, were in good spirits as they loaded up on carbs in a fish and chips shop
Katya and Lewis were enjoying the sites in Blackpool while filming for the BBC show ahead of competing on Saturday night.
Meanwhile George Clarke went all out for Blackpool wearing a ‘I heart Blackpool T-shirt’ which he paired with a pink cowboy hat and fur glasses.
The social media star turned heads in the bold ensemble which he completed with a green feathered scarf.
It comes after Lewis revealed what his girlfriend Rachel really thinks of his Strictly partner Katya after the pair scooped the first perfect score of the series earlier this month.
The Emmerdale actor scored a perfect 40 with his pro partner Katya – who has previously been a victim of the infamous Strictly curse.
But Lewis has now revealed that the curse, and Katya, are not a concern for him and Rachel.
Lewis admitted that his girlfriend is more than used to seeing him be intimate with people that are not herself, as he has kissed other people both on screen and stage.
He hailed Pilates instructor and dancer Rachel his ‘biggest supporter’ and worries of the Strictly curse have ‘never been a conversation’.
Braving the freezing British weather, Lewis, who recently stepped out with his rarely-seen girlfriend Rachel Maya Lopez, cut a casual figure as he layered a navy coat over a shirt
The pair wondered around the seaside hotspot where Lewis was spotted wrapping his arm around Katya as she leaned on his shoulder
The duo laughed away at each other as they tucked into chips at the counter of the fish and chips shop
Meanwhile Katya wrapped up in a long grey coat which she teamed with a black fur scarf and chunky lace up boots
Speaking to The Sun, he said: ‘Over the years I’ve had to kiss a lot of people on stage or onscreen, as an actor, so she’s used to me kissing boys actually, but it hasn’t been a problem.
‘Katya and Rachel have all met, it’s never been a conversation between us.’
He added: ‘Rachel has supported me all the way, she is my biggest supporter, she sends me into rehearsals with a packed lunch, she really looks after me.’
Lewis blew the judges away as he received the first 40 of the series for his couple’s choice dance to a quick version of Radiohead’s Creep.
Reflecting on growing up in Hartlepool with his 13 siblings, Lewis left home at just 10 years old to live in London and pursue his career in performing as he admitted he often misses his family, especially his Nanna Dot.
It comes after Lewis hit back at accusations he is a professionally trained dancer.
Lewis joined Strictly at the last minute after Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn withdrew due to injury.
His cast announcement sparked fix claims after he confessed he had been dancing since the age of 10 – even landing a role in Billy Elliot in London’s West End – during a pre-recorded segment on the BBC show.
He also previously spent eight years with the elite street dance crew Ruff Diamond, who were runners-up on Sky TV’s Got to Dance.
Katya and Lewis were enjoying the sites in Blackpool while filming for the BBC show ahead of competing on Saturday night
Katya tucked into a portion of chips at the seaside hotspot
Meanwhile George Clarke went all out for Blackpool wearing a ‘I heart Blackpool T-shirt’ which he paired with a pink cowboy hat and fur glasses
It comes after Lewis revealed what his girlfriend really thinks of his Strictly partner Katya after the pair scooped the first perfect score of the series earlier this month
But Lewis hit back at the accusations he is a professional, branding the claims ‘bizarre’ and saying it’s an insult to the real professionals on the show.
Speaking to Metro, he said: ‘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.’
He added: ‘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.’
Previously speaking about his dance experience in a Strictly segment, Lewis said: ‘When I was 11, I was in Billy Elliot in the West End, which was quite relevant to my life. So my brothers were boxing and I was dancing.’
At just 18 years old, he performed in front of Got to Dance judges Ashley Banjo, Kimberly Wyatt and Aston Merrygold with Ruff Diamond.
Ruff Diamond also appeared on Children in Need, danced alongside the EastEnders cast, and was crowned UK Hip Hop Champions twice.
The group even represented the UK at the 2013 World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas.
Lewis left Ruff Diamond in 2015, aged 20, to study acting at the prestigious Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
He joined the cast of Emmerdale in 2022, playing Nicky Miligan, and bid farewell to the Dales in July 2024 when his character left the village with his boyfriend, Suni Sharma.
