Bring Back the Bennetts!

Tweet #bringbackthebennetts

We do oh so love a good campaign and when Nelly the Jellyphant suggested a #bringbackthebennetts campaign on Twitter, we just couldn't resist. Back in 2009, we posted 5 reasons why Karen Hardy should be a judge on Strictly...we're unfortunately still holding out for that day...but here are our five reasons why the BBC should bring back Darren and Lilia  next year...let's see if this one has more effect.

1) Perfect Partnerships

Darren and Lilia always brought out the very best in their celeb partners, no matter who they were or how they started out. Could anyone else have got Matt Dawson to the final? We don't think so. And after being in the bottom two in week one, could anyone else have coaxed Letitia Dean to the quarter finals? Other pros have taken naturally talented dancers to the finals and won. Darren and Lilia have taken absolute novices and turned them into dancers. And that's one mighty skill.

2) Clever Choreography

With regard to their choreography, both Darren and Lilia displayed creativity without ostentation. There were no props and there was no larking about - just straight dancing. And was it boring? Um, no. Their clever routines pushed their celebs' dancing strengths - note, Jill's jive or Matt's waltz. With less competent celebrities, their routines were always designed to show off the best side of their partners, the prime example of this being Lilia's routines designed for Dominic Littlewood - still full of dance content but the cheeky choreography played to his character. And again: no props.

3) Lilia's Costumes

We think we have read somewhere that Lilia designs her own dresses and liked to have input into the design of her Strictly costumes. If that is true, then it showed. Hers often had a little more pizzazz and a little more character than those worn by some of the other dancers. In fact, both of us agree that one of our favourite all-time Strictly costumes is her Candyman jive costume, worn season five.

4) Twitter Says So and As Everyone Knows, Twitter is The. Oracle. 

We have had lots of responses on Twitter about the campaign to bring The Bennetts back to the show and here are some of our favourites:

Jilly Boyd: Because of reasons. Whatever. Just BRING THEM BACK. AND ALSO IAN. AND MATTHEW.

(Yes, of course we would love to see Mr Cutler and Mr Waite back too...)

Caroline: Because they are amazing dancers

Lauraa!!: Classic choreography, fantastic dancers, brilliant teachers, great personalities... Etc. etc.

Cherry: They always got the best out of their partners, they're amazing dancers and they're likeable! The whole package! :D

Clair: Loved them both!!! Lilia and @realaled still my favourite couple ever.xx

5) People People 

Both Darren and Lilia were likable people and fans warmed to them as much as they did the celebrities who appear each year. Testament to that is that two years down the line, fans still want them back. They were passionate about the show and gave it their all. We love some of the new pros too but it's nothing like the golden era - it would be great to see some of the old faces back.

Tweet #bringbackthebennetts