She set the dance floor alight with her sensational routines alongside partner Bobby Brazier, making it through to the final of this year’s Strictly series. And as Dianne Buswell strikes a pose for our exclusive photo shoot, she exudes the same captivating energy – even breaking out into dance mode occasionally.
“I can’t help it – when I’m dancing, it just feels euphoric,” beams 34-year-old Dianne. “I still pinch myself that I’m on Strictly. I remember auditioning eight years ago – it’s been a magical journey ever since!” Though the show may be over, the Australian-born star admits her friendship with Bobby – who become a firm Strictly 2023 favourite with viewers – has left a lasting impression.
“Bobby is so interesting; he may only be 20 years old, but he is such an inspiring person,” she says. “He’s got a zest for life, a great head on his shoulders, yet is so humble. His younger brother Freddie is just as sweet, I’m like their older sister. Their dad, Jeff, really looked after me. Bobby would come in with containers full of delicious food and Jeff would’ve prepped two plates, forks, napkins – I swear I thought there’d be candles in there next!"
And Dianne, who’s been dancing since she was four and has performed all over the world, admits she learnt a thing or two from the EastEnders actor. She says, “He’s a really calming person and into meditation. Before we performed, he’d say, ‘All we can control is how much fun we have – the outcome is the outcome’. That really resonated and made me feel less nervous to go out there. All my dance partners have brought something unique.”
But Dianne remains immensely grateful to the show for introducing her to one particular person – her boyfriend, Joe Sugg. The pair were coupled up together on Strictly in 2018, announcing their romance shortly afterwards, and as their relationship has gone from strength-to-strength, Dianne admits she still counts her lucky stars.
She says, “Joe and I will often sit there, thinking it’s crazy that it’s been five years since we’ve been together, we’re still amazed it all came from Strictly. We do wonder whether we’d have actually met if he hadn’t been on the show, I wouldn’t have got to know him! We still love to dance together. Joe loves ballroom and he’s always trying to do it with me in the kitchen. We’re going to have Argentine Tango lessons together soon!”
While they have no imminent plans, Dianne admits the pair are excited to start their own family one day. “I think definitely for sure at one point we’ll have children,” she reveals. “It’s something we’d both love, but we don’t know when just yet. We always say our kids are going to watch YouTube videos of us dancing one day, and that’s so cool!”
Though Dianne’s passion for dancing is clear, she admits it almost came crashing down in her twenties. The star has been open about her struggles with bulimia and over-exercising and admits she hid the true extent of her struggles from her loved ones.
She says, “As a dancer, I used to think I had to look a certain way to be cast in something, but that’s not the case at all. Very thin can sometimes mean you’re not doing things the correct way or looking after yourself well. For so long I didn’t tell anyone, not even my parents. I would say, ‘Oh I’m fine, I’m fine, there’s nothing wrong – I’m just loving working out six hours a day’. I didn’t, but I was covering it up.
“It got to a stage where I was very weak and had anxiety about being on stage, despite being such a show pony. I would literally look into the audience and lose the ability to know what to do next. That’s when I knew it was affecting me day to day.”
On doctors’ orders, Dianne, who was told she was at risk of cardiac arrest, headed back home to her family to rest. She reveals, “As soon as I spoke to my family about it, it massively helped. I started to realise how important your body is, especially with what I do, it’s my tool and I need to look after it. Rather than neglecting your body to look a certain away, it’s about how you feel, and that’s been the most rewarding lesson. I would say to my younger self now, ‘There’s no such thing as the so-called perfect body’ – it’s not realistic.”
She adds, “As soon as I started taking care of myself and feeling happy again, that’s when magical things started to happen in my life. I got more achievements in my dancing and landed great jobs. It taught me that when you feel more comfortable in your own skin, you naturally feel confident and you shine. I was like, ‘This is the Dianne I know’ – and it felt empowering!”
And the star admits her newfound attitude is here to stay. “I’m really grateful for my body now, even when I feel quite sore, I know it’s because I’ve been able to push my body to do these amazing things. I’m proud of coming out the other end – it’s probably one of my greatest achievements!”