Strictly Come Dancing and Emmerdale star Lewis Cope dismissed claims about having an advantage on the show ahead of his surprise exit from the competition

Strictly Come Dancing contestant Lewis Cope has hit back at claims he's a professional dancer, insisting he "wasn't good enough" to land the lead role in Billy Elliot. The 30-year-old has found himself repeatedly having to defend his place on the BBC dance competition after his musical theatre past came to light, with critics arguing he holds an unfair edge over his fellow contestants.

This type of controversy rears its head virtually every series, with some viewers calling for a blanket ban on anyone with performance experience.

Addressing the accusations in an interview with The i Paper last month, he said: "First of all, if yo

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