The actor has been on the show since December 2022 (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

Ever since the character of Nicky Milligan (played by Lewis Cope) arrived back in December, he has been causing a stir in Emmerdale village and caught the attention of fans of the ITV show.

From his interest in Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) to the suspicions of a secret identity, all came to bear when it was revealed that Nicky was, in fact, the son of Caleb Milligan, with the two teaming up to take down Kim Tate.

Caleb had a secret of his own, being the son of Kim’s ex-husband Frank, and he has roped his son into his scheming ways, with Nicky’s part in the plan involving wooing poor sweet Gabby, but all looks set to unravel in a suitably dramatic fashion.

Things have been especially awkward for Nick, who couldn’t go through with his plans to marry Gabby, coming clean with her and revealing that he is in fact gay and in a secret relationship with Ally (Josh Horrocks).

With so much drama revolving around the character, fans are naturally curious about the actor who plays him.

So, let’s turn our attention to Lewis Cope and find out a little more about the life and relationships of the Emmerdale star…

Who is Lewis Cope?

Lewis Cope, 28, is an English actor from Hartlepool who has played Nicky Milligan on Emmerdale since December 2022.

Heis relatively new to the acting game, but has made some appearances in other popular soap dramas, namely BBC’s Doctors and the ITV drama Vera.

He began his career on the stage however after taking up dancing from a young age, appearing as one of the leading roles in Billy Elliot: The Musical on the West End when he was just 11.

Keen fans may also recognise Lewis from the advert for David Beckham’s fragrance Bold Instinct after Lewis’ story caught the eye of the soccer superstar.

‘I’m from a family of 14. Most of my brothers are boxers, but I chose to dance. David used my story to encourage people to be themselves. We spent a day filming and he interviewed me; he was such a nice guy’ Lewis told the Daily Mirror.

Lewis recently discussed his family life during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine alongside co-star Rosie Bentham, that he has a lot of brothers and sisters – and we mean a lot.

Lorraine asked ‘Because everybody’s so friendly, and it is a family, a big family. You are used to that. How many brothers and sisters have you got?’

‘So I’m one of 14,’ he replied, much to Lorraine’s surprise.

She exclaimed: ’14! Good grief, what is Christmas like round at your house?’. to which he responded: ‘Lovely, yeah. I love it!’

Upon being cast in Emmerdale, Lewis told Luxe magazine about his excitement for the role: ‘I’m honestly still ecstatic to be playing the role of Nicky in Emmerdale, he’s a great character to play.

‘The auditions for Emmerdale were nerve-wracking but exciting. The first round was a self-tape. When they got in touch to invite me to the next round, I was so happy. Along with a select few others they liked from the self-tapes, I was invited to the studio for the screen test.

‘Luckily for me, they thought I was the right person to take on the role of Nicky,’ he explained.

One person who was very happy to see Lewis get the role, was his grandmother: ‘It’s very surreal. My Nana loves Emmerdale, she’s watched it religiously for as long as I can remember. To now be part of the show she loves so much is amazing,’ he added.

Does Lewis Cope have a girlfriend?

Lewis does indeed have a girlfriend, fellow actor and fitness instructor Rachel Lopez, with the couple often pictured together on each other’s Instagram.

Lopez, who is from Dublin, recently posted a picture of the couple enjoying the sunshine in Southport celebrating a friend’s engagement.

Lewis often shares holiday snaps of the two of them, with the couple enjoying time in Rachel’s home city over Christmas, with Leiws writing: ‘6 years of Dublin at Christmas with you 💫 Wouldn’t have it any other way❤️’

Other snaps include numerous envious shots of sun-drenched getaways to the Greek islands of Mykonos and Naxos, with one photo of the pair sweetly stating ‘thank you for being you.’

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm

MORE : Win tickets for a guided tour of the Emmerdale village set

MORE : Emmerdale spoilers: Horrific scenes as violent Caleb beats up own son Nicky

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Lewis plays Nicky Milligan on the ITV soap.