Where are BBC Strictly champions Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova now?

Strictly pros perform 'Beetlejuice' routine

Ballroom champions Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova joined the second series of BBC Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 as professional dancers just five months after the first series aired. The couple, who are partners on and off the dance floor, enjoyed significant success on the hit show.

Darren won the Glitterball trophy shortly after joining the show with his celebrity partner, actress Jill Halfpenny.

The following year, Lilia clinched victory alongside cricket legend Darren Gough, while her husband, a Latin dance champion, proudly shared in her triumph, having experienced it himself. Darren's subsequent achievements included reaching the semi-final with Baby Spice Emma Bunton and the quarter-final with EastEnders star Letitia Dean. He also won the Christmas special with Jill Halfpenny - twice.

Lilia, on the other hand, won the Christmas Champion of Champions trophy, also with Darren Gough, which included a dance that scored a perfect 40 out of 40. In her debut season on Strictly, she reached the semi-final with Welsh singer and presenter Aled Jones, reports Wales Online.

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Former Strictly stars Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova (Image: Instagram/Lilia Kopylova)

Her later successes included finishing as runner-up with rugby player Matt Dawson to cricket legend Mark Ramprakash and his professional dancer Karen Hardy.

Darren and Lilia announced their departure from the show after the 2009 series, leaving fans heartbroken.

For the past decade and a half, they have chosen to live a quieter life, focusing on raising their two daughters. The couple first met in 1997 when Sheffield-born Darren was introduced to Russian dancer Lilia.

Darren Gough and Lilia Kopylova won Strictly in 2005 (Image: Jason Skarratt)

Just five months later, they clinched both the International and British amateur Youth Championships.

The pair turned professional in 2003 and are now considered one of Britain's top Latin American dance duos.

In November 2005, Darren and Lilia, who tied the knot in 1999, swept the board at the British Championships for Professional Latin, winning all five dances. They have since added numerous other awards to their collection.

Since hanging up their dancing shoes professionally, the couple have been deeply involved in the creative side of dance.

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Jill Halfpenny and Darren Bennett, the 2004 winners of the second series of Strictly Come Dancing (Image: Simon Bellis/PA)

They are part of the team behind Essentially Dance, an initiative aimed at encouraging British children to learn ballroom and Latin American dance as a means to combat childhood obesity and foster social skills.

The duo also starred in a West End dance show, Latin Fever, which they choreographed themselves, handpicking the music and costumes to match the mood of each Latin dance.

More recently, Lilia has taken on the role of choreographer for the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars, with Darren serving as the consultant creative producer.

Darren and Lilia with their daughters Valentina and Lucia (Image: Instagram/Lilia Kopylova)

The Sheffield-based couple are parents to nine-year-old Valentina and four-year-old Lucia and have candidly shared their parenting journey. They've been vocal about the difficulties they faced in starting a family.

In a heartwarming Instagram update just before lockdown, they announced their anticipation for their second "miracle" baby; Lucia made her entrance into the world in September 2020.

Lilia delights her followers with glimpses into both her family and work life by posting snapshots of her children with regular updates on her Instagram account.

Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer