Joe Sugg

Dianne Buswell has opened up about juggling her first pregnancy while appearing on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and how much her unborn son loves the live band

Pregnant Dianne Buswell says her unborn baby is already showing signs he’s going to follow in her footsteps. The mum-to-be took to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor again last night with celebrity partner, Neighbours star Stefan Dennis.

Aussie Dianne – who is expecting a baby boy with YouTuber Joe Sugg early next year – says the baby is a big fan of the show. “There have been a few little Strictly kicks,” she beamed. “Especially when he’s listening to Dave Arch and the band.

“I don’t feel it when I dance. That’s probably rocking him to sleep. He will be having a good old time there.” Dianne, 36, announced last month that she was expecting a baby boy with her 2018 Strictly partner Joe, 34.

The first pro to compete while pregnant on the BBC show, she’s faced lots of support but also a barrage of opinions. Dianne brushed off any negativity, saying: “I have got some lovely messages. I want to be an advocate for mums who can stay active.

“I feel really good thanks. I feel pretty much the same as I felt last year. I feel better dancing. I felt worse when I had the time off last week, weirdly, so that was an interesting observation.”

Dianne was forced to miss out on last week’s movie week after Stefan was struck down by illness. They were back last night to perform Charleston to Dance Monkey by Tones and I.

Dianne said she’s loving dancing while pregnant. “So far so good,” she said. “I haven’t had to adapt anything at all. I’ve just continued doing exactly what I would normally do.

“We couldn’t be doing crazy lifts anyway because Stefan is the oldest competitor in the competition and you always choreograph dances that suit your partner. People who do these big lifts will be very different in height and size but me and Stefan are not like that so we go for what suits us better.

“I adapt not because I’m pregnant but because of my partner.” Actor Stefan, 66, said his week off gave him the chance to “rest and re-evaluate”.

“I came from the other side of the world and was thrown into a massive machine I didn’t really know anything about. Being sick gave me a chance to sit back and see what you do. The hardest thing has been learning how to dance and getting over the fear of I can’t dance. My subconscious thoughts are that I have two left feet. I don’t know how to move my body. I can’t do this. So the hardest thing is getting over that.”

Hoping to progress to next weekend’s show, Halloween week, Stefan says he’s already had to miss out on one spooky opportunity. “Before this my plan was to finish Neighbours,” he explained. “I was going to do a film and then I was going to go travelling with my wife and kids.

“It’s a shame I didn’t do the film because I was going to play a head vampire in a horror film which couldn’t be further from Paul Robinson but unfortunately I had to say no to the film because of Strictly.”

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DIANNE Buswell took to the Strictly floor for the first time tonight after hitting back at a troll who said her dancing while pregnant on the show made them ‘uncomfortable’.

The Strictly pro announced the happy news she is expecting her first baby with partner Joe Sugg earlier this month.

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Her pregnancy hasn’t stopped Dianne taking part in the 2025 series, where she has been paired with Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis.

Tonight, the duo danced their first routine in the Strictly studio, a foxtrot to the Neighbours theme tune.

The couple scored one of the better scores of the night with 22, and Dianne then received a ’10-second baby shower’ from her Strictly family.

Neil Jones – dressed as a stork – brought on some gifts for her.

Dianne replied: “I love you all so much and thank you for being so supportive.”

While the majority of people have been supportive, some trolls have taken aim at Dianne for dancing while pregnant.

The Aussie pro, 36, shared a shocking message on Instagram from a viewer who said they wanted her off the show.

The message said: “I don’t want to see her dance being pregnant, it’s already feeling uncomfortable and she’s only starting to show. It’s really not appropriate.”

Shocked by the remark, Strictly favourite Dianne hit back: “I can’t believe in 2025 things like this are still being said.”

But while one troll tried to bring her down, another fan rushed to lift her up.

The flame-haired dancer proudly reposted a heartfelt message from a supporter who praised her for inspiring millions.

Reigning Strictly Come Dancing champion Dianne Buswell shares dreams for the future with her long-term love Joe Sugg and their plans to start a family

Dancing is at the centre of everything for Dianne Buswell – it’s where she made her name and found the love of her life. But the Strictly Come Dancing professional says she’s prepared to waltz away for a while to start a family with partner, podcaster and YouTuber Joe Sugg.

The pair met on the 2018 series of the BBC show after being paired together and romance blossomed away from the bright lights and the cameras once their stint had ended.

Dianne, 36, has opened up about their family plans as she shares what made her fall for Joe, 33. “It wasn’t until the show ended that we realised we missed each other’s company a lot – our relationship went from there,” she explained.

READ MORE: ITV star ‘banned’ from Strictly Come Dancing as they admit ‘I can’t do it’

“We always got on, he was so funny to me, and I loved how creative he was. We’ve always wanted kids, it’s just finding the right time. I don’t feel worried about taking time out from dancing, I just don’t see the point in worrying. When everything aligns, it will happen. I have to have that vision. I like to practise manifestation, I’m quite spiritual.”

The couple live in Brighton, where they share a £3.5million mansion. They’ve long been open about their desire to start a family. Dianne recently had to deny suggestions the pair had got engaged after speculation grew online after she was spotted wearing a ring on her wedding finger.

Grilled on Good Morning Britain by Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, she explained how some of her fingers had swollen up after a flight, so she moved rings from her right to her left hand. “I was taking pictures with my family and I put them online so everyone thought I was engaged,” she recalled. “I’m not engaged.”

Joe may not have got down on bended knee, but their relationship is going from strength to strength, with Joe beginning to enjoy some of Dianne’s passions. “Joe laughs at me because I’m always investing in the latest wellness product,” tells Dianne.

“It’s a big passion. I have an ice bath at home. I can get a bit anxious but cold-water therapy calms me down. I’m so proud of Joe – he never knew about any of this wellness stuff, but he’s enjoying it. He loves the ice bath. He does it more than me, to be honest.”

Since joining Strictly in 2017, Australian pro dancer Dianne has been putting her body through hours of gruelling rehearsals day after day, so she has to look after herself.

“There’s only so much you can give before you need to recharge,” says Dianne. “In this line of work, we’re giving, giving, giving, because we want people to have the best time, but there comes a point when you need to give yourself time and space. I need moments of quiet and calm.”

A self-confessed “homebody”, Dianne loves a night in as much as a showbiz party. “I’m okay being in my own company. At a party, I’m not the loudest one in the room by any stretch of the imagination.”

She shares her home life with fans on social media – she and Joe have built up a huge following through their daily vlogs. Dianne says it’s helped show people the “real” her. “I always wanted my YouTube channel and the podcast [Winning Isn’t Everything] to be as raw as possible,” she tells Prima magazine.

“First thing in the morning, I’ll vlog and show the real me, who hasn’t been in hours of hair and make-up. It comes with age and becoming more confident in yourself as a person.

“When I was younger, I used to be self-conscious and would never step outside unless I had a full face of make-up on. It’s no longer about looks, it’s about how I feel and what I feel. That’s why I’m so honest – if I can help at least one or two people, then I feel like my job’s done.”

As Strictly’s reigning champion after her historic win with blind comedian Chris McCausland, 48, last year, Dianne is preparing to line up with another celebrity for the new series, with the professional dancers rehearsing already ahead of the show starting in September.

But she and Chris do the Winning podcast together, and she says he changed her outlook on life – and she doesn’t feel as much pressure any more. “I feel just as excited as any other year, and I’ve put no expectations on myself,” she insists.

“Last year taught me it’s not about perfection. I used to think of winning, winning, winning, but the past few years, it hasn’t been about that at all – maybe that comes with age and maturity.

“Chris and I could have left at any point and would have gone thinking we’d won anyway. It doesn’t feel like a competition any more. I taught him a lot, but he taught me just as much.

“Chris has allowed me to be more of the character that I naturally am. I don’t feel pressure to be the world’s best dancer as I get older – you don’t need to be a world champion to be a great Strictly professional. It’s a mixed bag of stuff, like being able to communicate with someone as a teacher.”

She is looking forward to reuniting with friend and fellow pro Amy Dowden, 34, who returned to the show in the last series after breast cancer but had to pull out after a foot injury.

Dianne said: “She’s a tough cookie. I’ve never met anyone who loves dancing so much, she lives and breathes it and for that to be taken away from her for a period was so upsetting. But she is back 100%, thriving and full of life.”

■Read the full interview in September’s issue of Prima, out now, and online.

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