Dianne Buswell is set to become the first ever Strictly Come Dancing star to be pregnant while competing in the show, which has raised questions about what she will or won’t be allowed to do in her routines.
The 36-year-old pro-dancer and YouTuber Joe Sugg, 34 – who she met on the BBC dance competition in 2018 – announced the happy news they are expecting a baby boy this week.
The happy pair are expecting the new addition to their family in 2026 – though it’s not clear how far along the pregnancy is.
After confirming she would indeed be appearing on the 23rd season of the show, kicking off this Saturday, Dianne has now gone into more detail about how her routines will be affected by the news.
‘I’m still doing everything I did before. Obviously with lifts there’s going to be a bit more caution. But my doctor has said everything is normal,’ Dianne said on her and Chris McCausland’s podcast Winning Isn’t Everything.
‘He said, basically, if you’ve done it before, in terms of being a dancer and you’ve done this, done that, then crack on and keep doing what you’re doing.’
Dianne revealed her doctor might have given different advice if she’d just taken up dancing.
‘My muscles wouldn’t be used to it,’ she explained, adding: ‘But because you’ve been dancing since you were five, this is what your body is meant to, he said you shouldn’t stop what you do.’
Despite approaching lifts with caution, Dianne revealed she didn’t foresee herself ‘doing huge lifts’ with whichever celebrity she’s been partnered up with.
‘You can’t see yourself getting past three weeks then?’ joked Chris.
‘No,’ Dianne clarified, laughing. ‘But you look at the dynamic of the partnership and you can see straight away. A lot of partnerships don’t do many lifts, if that’s what is best for the partnership.’
Announcing their news, Joe and Dianne shared a video on social media and wrote: ‘Our little baby boy ❤️ we cannot wait to meet you,’ before titling the post: ‘2026.’
Numerous celebrities – including Stacey Dooley, Johannes Radebe and Shirley Ballas – flocked to the comments section to congratulate the pair.
According to the NHS, remaining active and fit during pregnancy is ‘not dangerous for your baby’.
Official guidance states: ‘Keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise (sport, running, yoga, dancing, or even walking to the shops and back) for as long as you feel comfortable.
‘The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour.
‘There is evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labour.’
Professional dancer Dianne previously revealed her desire to start a family with Joe in the future, explaining: ‘Joe is the most supportive person.
‘I’d love to have a family one day, and I know Joe would love a family too. That would be our dream one day.’
The couple live together in an impressive five-bedroom £3.5million property, complete with six reception rooms, a fully-equipped gym, a cinema room, and a sprawling garden.
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