DANCE fever is to hit the North-East when presenter Graham Norton and the finalists from his hit BBC show arrive tomorrow.

The Strictly Dance Fever whistle-stop tour of the UK will see local boy Darrien Wright, 21, coming home to appear with his dance partner, Hollie Robertson, 20, in Darlington market square at 8.30am.

They will appear alongside programme host Graham Norton and the two other couples who have made the final.

Supporters are being bussed in to Darlington for the performance, from Hollie's home town of Ludlow, in Shropshire, and also from Scotland, where Darrien went to university and dance school.

Darrien and Hollie were chosen last Saturday, along with two other couples, for the final this week, through a combination of viewers' votes and judges' scores. They are the bookies' second favourites, with odds of 11-4.

They will dance again on Saturday in a bid to win the £50,000 prize and West End dance contract.

Darrien's mother, Karen, who works as a sheltered accommodation warden in Darlington, will be taking some of the elderly residents to support Darrien tomorrow. She has travelled to London every week to see him in the show.

She said: "He is doing really well. He is really just getting on with the dancing.

"I think he and Hollie should win because they have really concentrated on the dance and that is what they are there for. They have come this far and they really want to win this."

She said he was excited about coming back to Darlington and seeing his family and friends.

"If everybody gets behind them, I think they should have a chance of the winning post on Saturday."

To vote for Darrien and Hollie, call 0901 121 2410.

6:14am Tuesday 30th May 2006

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