If you search hard enough, pretty much everyone has some sort of connection to Croydon - even Strictly Come Dancing's husband and wife professionals Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova.

The pair lived in South Croydon just over a decade ago, long before they shot to fame waltzing and cha-cha-chaing their way to seven separate titles (including tour and christmas specials) across six series of the show - which they are currently considering their futures in after being demoted from dancing with celebrities to being part of a troupe.

"We lived here for three years about a decade ago," says 33-year-old Bennett.

"It's a really nice place that gets a bit of a bad press really, we liked it."

They return on Tuesday with their touring show, Latin Fever, an upbeat romp through the world of Latin American dancing - the pair have won the British Latin championships eight times and reached world and european finals.

"It's everything from samba to cha-cha-cha, rumba, pasodoble, mambo, salsa and Argentine tango," says Kopylova, who celebrates her 32nd birthday this Friday.

"We are taking the audience on a trip around the world with us," adds Bennett.

"We try to put a story with each number as well - there is an Argentinean tango piece eight minutes long with a narrative and a story."

If the pair knew anything about their impending doom on Strictly, which Bennett won in series two with Jill Halfpenny and Kopylova in series three with Darren Gough, they did well not to show it when we met before the announcement went public.

"No idea yet, nobody knows so we shall wait and see what happens with that," was their answer when asked if they were returning this Autumn.

Amazingly, they have only ever had one dance off against each other, when Kopylova was partnered with Matt Dawson and Bennett with Emma Bunton.

"That was weird," says Kopylova.

"I won - I had to really otherwise it's not right."

"Otherwise it would have been a very quiet Christmas," chuckles Bennett.

"Lilia is beating me at the moment, we have seven trophies in the house and she is beating me by one as she won the tour this year with Austin Healey.

"So I want to go out there and even the score."

Sadly, it seems he won't be getting the chance this year.

Latin Fever, Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, June 22, 7.30pm, £36. Call 020 8688 9291 or visit fairfield.co.uk.