BOURNEMOUTH born dancer Karen Hardy has made it to the final of cult television dance show Strictly Come Dancing.

Karen and her partner, cricketer Mark Ramprakash, will be stepping onto the dance floor for the final time along with rugby star Matt Dawson and his professional dance partner Lilia Kopylova.

Last week Karen and Mark scored the highest mark of the series - 39 out of 40 - for their Argentine Tango.

Judge on the show Bruno Tonioli described the couple as "the prince of darkness and the queen of the night" and said that the performance was worthy of the final.

He also offered his congratulations to all the contestants.

He said: "This has been an incredible ride. You have brought us suspense and thrills. This series has been spectacular."

Karen, who started dancing at Boscombe's Nice 'n' Easy Dance Studios, is no stranger to dance finals as during her career as a professional dancer she won the World Masters and the United Kingdom and International Open World Championships.

Karen, 36, said: "There have been shocks every week since the contest started and we have to accept we are up against some stiff competition, particularly as Lilia has been a finalist before and will know what to expect."

She said that if the couple win it will be the best Christmas present imaginable.

The former Beau-fort School pupil is hoping the people from Bournemouth will be voting for them on the big night and said that she has received lots of support from family, friends and former colleagues in the town.

Despite being a world champion dancer, competing in Strictly Come Dancing has brought Karen a new fame and for the first time she is recognised in supermarkets.

Karen juggles dancing in the competition with looking after her one-and-a-half-year old son, Callum, and teaching both professional dancers and enthusiastic amateurs. She is married to Conrad Murray and they live in London.

  • The live final of Strictly Come Dancing is Saturday on BBC1 at 5.40pm.