Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Dianne Buswell has debunked claims that her celebrity partner’s withdrawal from the competition was “planned” to accommodate her pregnancy.
On Monday, Buswell’s dance partner, Neighbours actor Stefan Dennis, announced that he was exiting the competition after sustaining a serious calf injury. The actor had previously been unable to dance in an episode of the programme on 11 October due to a bout of vertigo.
Buswell, who is expecting her first child with boyfriend Joe Sugg, has since hit back at suggestions that Dennis’s early exit was coordinated with her pregnancy in mind, saying that she had more energy than ever before.
On her Instagram Stories, Buswell shared a comment from one fan, which read: “To be honest I saw this coming, Diane couldn't really continue especially when she gets bigger, bless her.”
Another screenshotted message read: “She’s a brilliant dancer and she is one of my favourites sorry to say but I think this was planned to keep her and baby safe, just my thought.”
Buswell, the first pro to compete while pregnant in Strictly history, said in response that she would love nothing more than to keep dancing next week and asked fans to “stop presuming this was a set-up”.
“I sound like a broken record but I’m seeing a bit of this floating around again! I know people say ignore it but actually, why should I....I will speak up,” she wrote, adding: “Please respect Stefan who is extremely gutted to not be able to dance.”
Dennis said on Monday (20 October) that he was devastated to leave the competition after finally gaining confidence with his dancing over the past month.
The actor, best known for playing the soap villain Paul Robinson, had been forced to sit out of the competition earlier in October after his doctor advised him to rest following a vertigo spell, but fans still speculated that it was a cover-up for Buswell.
Buswell addressed the claims in an Instagram post last week, writing: “Just to clarify I’ve had lots of people messaging me thinking this is a cover-up for me not being able to dance?!”
“Firstly, we wouldn’t lie, especially about someone being sick. And secondly, I am fine. Yes I am pregnant, but I’m also very capable and feeling good!”
She continued: “Thirdly, there are things in place if any pros were to get sick or injured.”
The pair returned to the show on Saturday (18 October), performing a Charleston to “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I, which received a respectable 26 points from the judges.
Buswell, who won last year’s Strictly with comedian Chris McCausland, announced in September that she was expecting her first child with Sugg, the YouTube star she met while partnered together on the BBC dancing show in 2018.
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