Lilia Kopylova & Darren Bennett

BBC Strictly Come Dancing’s professional dancers, Lilia and Darren, are as enthusiastic about healthy living as they are about dance. This husband-and-wife team support World Cancer Research Fund’s cancer prevention message.

From their experience dancing is an activity that appeals to all ages. They judged a dance competition where the youngest entrants were 14 and the oldest was 82. “It was fantastic that they were all competing together. The couple in their eighties ended up winning, it was quite amazing!”

Lilia and Darren’s active lifestyle is matched by a love of healthy eating. “I’ve never been interested in junk food,” says Lilia. “As a dancer I have to eat healthily. The right foods give you energy to perform.”

At home Darren does most of the cooking; he loves being in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes when they get the time to relax at home like a normal married couple. For meals when they have less time, they eat a lot of stir-fries with chicken and plenty of vegetables. “We always eat our 5 A Day,” says Lilia, demonstrating how in-tune they are with WCRF UK’s cancer prevention message.

Their interest in WCRF UK’s work was brought into focus after Lilia sadly lost her father to stomach cancer in 2007. “When you’ve lived with cancer within your own family, when you’ve experienced it first hand and seen someone you love go through the pain that cancer brings and not survive the outcome, it helps you to understand that prevention is just as important as finding a cure,” explains Darren. “Leading a good lifestyle with a healthy diet and plenty of physical activity can help to prevent cancer and combat so many other forms of illness. It’s a message we’re really pleased to support.”

Lilia and Darren’s top tips for dancing success

Be open-minded and don’t be afraid to give it a go!
“You can take up dancing at six or 86,” says Darren. “As a result of the TV programme, more men are taking up dancing now, too.”

Make the most of the opportunity to make new friends
Dance is a social activity and the shared interest in learning new steps makes it easier to meet new people.

Find a good teacher and a dance environment that you feel comfortable with
Dance classes take place in a range of venues, from community centres to salsa bars, so choose a location that’s right for you.

Wear the right pair of shoes and comfy clothes
You need to be able to move freely to dance well – but that doesn’t mean you need to wear sequins (unless you really want to, of course)!

Have a good time!
So much of dance is about enjoying yourself and having fun.