HE'S been dancing since the tender age of eight.

His fancy footwork has been the pride of the Mills family for years, and he even has a specially created ballroom to practise in.

Now Hampshire student Stewart Mills is stepping into the limelight of prime time television and hoping to dance his way to stardom - and get his hands on a cash windfall of £50,000.

Specialising in Latin and ballroom dancing, Stewart, from the New Forest, will tonight be one of ten couples competing for the 2006 title on Strictly Dance Fever.

More than 80,000 dancers applied for the show, hosted by funnyman Graham Norton, and the 19-year-old biochemistry student made it through to the televised finals after auditioning for the series in Cardiff, where he is currently at university.

Keeping their fingers crossed for him at the family home in Minstead, his parents say he could do very well in the competition, which runs for the next eight weeks.

"When he puts his mind to it he can do anything," said dad Stephen.