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 . 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.
