Spice is right for dancer Darren

SOUTH Yorkshire dance star Darren Bennett is set to spice up Saturday night TV viewing - after being paired with Emma Bunton for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The twinkle-toed 29-year-old has been matched with the singer formerly known as Baby Spice for the hit BBC1 show.Meanwhile Darren's wife and professional dance partner, Lilia Kopylova, will be hoping to repeat her victory of last year by tutoring former England rugby player Matt Dawson.It's a second sporting pairing for Russian-born Lilia - she won the last series of the show with Barnsley-born fast-bowler Darren Gough.Today Darren's dad Tony Bennett, who runs the City Limits Dance School in Walkley with his wife Judith, confirmed that Darren and Emma, and Lilia and Matt, had begun their gruelling schedules of dance training this week.Taking part in Strictly Come Dancing means long hours and long journeys for Darren and Lilia, as they travel to and from London to meet up with their celebrity partners and teach them the dances.The show returns to TV screens next month with presenters Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly.This year there will be 14 celebrity contestants - two more than last series - paired with the professional ballroom dancers.Darren, who was born in Deepcar, brought up in Todwick, and now lives with Lilia in Treeton, won series two of Strictly Come Dancing with EastEnders actress Jill Halfpenny.More than 10 million viewers tuned in to see him crowned king of the ballroom.He was voted off the last series with his partner Gloria Hunniford in the fourth round - and cheered on wife Lilia, 27, as she waltzed to victory with Darren Gough.As well as Emma Bunton the female celebrities are Changing Rooms presenter Carol Smillie, ex-Bad Girls star Claire King, singer Mica Paris, comedy actress Jan Ravens and Casualty's Georgina Bouzova. The youngest contestant is EastEnders actress Louisa Lytton, 17, who plays gangster's daughter Ruby Allen.Besides Matt Dawson the male celebs are former Manchester United goalie Peter Schmeichel, comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, newsreader Nicholas Owen, cricketer Mark Ramprakash, Radio 1's DJ Spoony, and actor Ray Fearon - hunky mechanic Nathan in Coronation Street.Tess Daly said: "With a line-up like this, the new series is set to be bigger and better than ever before. Where else could you see a Spice Girl dancing alongside Jimmy Tarbuck?"In a change to last year's show, week one will see the boys dancing to stay in the competition while the girls entertain with a group mambo. The format will be reversed in week two.Money raised from viewer voting will go towards BBC Children In Need.