QUICKFIRE costume changes won Keelan Leyser and Charlotte Marie Voller the title of British Magical Champions.

During their show Charlotte changed her outfit 11 times, finishing in a silver ballgown. They are the only British couple to perform this kind of act and to win both the British magic and dance championships with their modern jive.

Keelan and Charlotte, from Merstham, who are engaged, performed at the magic championships at Blackpool Winter Gardens with 3,500 others and have also toured with Basil Brush.

Keelan, 26, has been involved with magic since the age of four and has never had another job. They met three years ago at a dance competition and he asked Charlotte, 19, to be his assistant. A year ago they became a double act.

Keelan was once a member of the elite Magic Circle but resigned as a protest against the expulsion of his best friend, Dominic Wood.

Wood, a children's presenter best known for the programme Dick and Dom In Da Bungalow, was expelled for exposing the secret behind a magic trick, which Charlotte said had been revealed many times before.

The couple's favourite magic trick is done by Lance Burton, the classic illusionist who guest-starred in Eighties TV show Knight Rider.

Charlotte said: "We went to Las Vegas in January and saw his show. It was incredible and breathtaking even though, being in the trade, we could see how some things were done. He was in a box on the stage and no-one knew what would happen after the assistant had closed it. A split second later he appeared on a chandelier hanging from the ceiling."

Charlotte's favourite trick of Keelan's is when he holds a picture of a tie in front of his tieless shirt, removing it to reveal he is suddenly wearing one.

She hopes to stay with the couple's relatively unique costume-change show but would like to amaze and deceive people with more illusion-based comedy.

She said: "Keelan always aspired to get into magic but I never ever expected that I would do this as my career."