Dianne Buswell has reunited with one of her Strictly Come Dancing co-stars in the training room, marking her first time dancing since giving birth to her first child.
Return to the Dance Floor
The professional dancer and her partner, YouTuber Joe Sugg, who met on the hit BBC One dance show in 2018, welcomed their baby boy earlier this year. The couple announced their pregnancy joy to delighted fans in September, before Dianne took part in Strictly's 2025 series, becoming the first knowingly pregnant pro to perform in the famous ballroom.
Dianne and Joe welcomed their son Bowden on March 16, sharing the first photos with fans. It was recently confirmed that Dianne will return to Strictly for the 2026 series, set to kick off this autumn. She was named among the professional dancer line-up when the BBC revealed it last month.
Returning from the 2025 series alongside Dianne are Alexis Warr, Amy Dowden, Aljaz Skorjanec, Jowita Przystal, Julian Caillon, Kai Widdrington, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Vito Coppola, and Carlos Gu, who won last year's series with former England footballer Karen Carney.
Training Room Reunion
On Monday (June 15), Dianne took to social media to reveal she was back dancing with her friend and fellow Strictly pro, Vito Coppola. In a video on her Instagram Story from the training room floor after a day dancing together, the new mum said with a smile: "Mum is back dancing!"
The Australian star added: "It was my first day back dancing today, with lovely Vito." Vito then shouted out: "Gorji, you've been amazing." Dianne continued: "We started full on and at the time, I thought, 'Great! I feel good!' Three hours later, you [Vito] might need to drag me out! But anyway, it's good to be back dancing!"
New Hosts and Judges
When Strictly returns for its 22nd year in September, a trio will host for the first time. Following the exit of presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe, and Johannes Radebe have been announced as the new hosts. They will join judges Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke, Shirley Ballas, and Motsi Mabuse, who are all back for another year. The 2026 celebrity line-up has already been announced ahead of September's launch.
