Dianne Buswell was reportedly missing from the recording of one of the opening group dances for this year's Strictly Come Dancing series, prompting concern among fans. The Daily Mail reported that the veteran professional dancer was absent from this week's recording, despite expectations that she would participate alongside the other professionals.
Absence from the group routine
It is understood the Australian star, 37, who welcomed her first child in March with partner Joe Sugg, was the only dancer not present. Producers had choreographed the energetic routine, set to feature during the launch show, as a way of introducing the five new dancers to audiences.
A source told the publication: "It was really odd Dianne wasn't there. Producers had planned the dance for the specific reason of making a big fuss of the newbies and new era of Strictly.
"It was their very first group number together which was pretty spectacular and included big, glitzy props. Lots of questions were asked during the breaks about where Dianne was but the crew were reluctant to say anything."
Spokesperson's response
Nevertheless, a second source reportedly indicated that there is "no reason for fans to be concerned." A Strictly spokesperson maintained Dianne was never scheduled to participate in the routine but declined to elaborate why, stating: "As is standard on Strictly, not every Pro dancer appears in every group routine."
Changes to the show
The programme is undergoing a significant number of changes this series. Presenter Emma Willis, former dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe are stepping into hosting roles previously held by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who departed last year.
The professional line-up will feature Dianne returning alongside Katya Jones, Kai Widdrington, Aljaž Škorjanec, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Alexis Warr, Julian Caillon and Vito Coppola. Meanwhile, five fresh faces joining the cast include Ukrainian Aleksandra Isaeva, Italian Cristian Priori, South African latin champion Lethabo Monametsi, Canadian dancer Mark Karmalita and UK National Ballroom Champion Maddie Ingoldsby.
