NEW Forest teenager Stewart Mills hustled his way into the next round of a television dancing competition by polling the second highest score.

Stewart, 19, and his dancing partner Clare, pictured right, were given 32 points - the second highest score - by judges for their American hustle in BBC1's Strictly Dance Fever competition on Saturday night.

Mum Claire, 47, was at the studios to cheer on her son after spending the whole week trying to drum up support for him by handing out leaflets with his telephone voting number on.

She said: "He was really delighted with his performance. When we saw him after the show he was bouncing off the ceiling.

"I think Stewart and Clare have settled down in the partnership now. He told me they were like an old married couple."

Stewart, a biochemisty student at Cardiff University, beat off more than 80,000 applicants to be selected as one of the finalists in the knock-out competition with his partner Clare Roberts, 24, from Liverpool.

Next week Stewart and Clare will be dancing the Charleston or the Guapacha, and his mum is doing all she can to drum up support for him.

Stewart and Clare are one of eight couples remaining in the competition who are battling to win the title of Strictly Dance Fever champions and the coveted £50,000 cash prize.