Strictly Come Dancing fans have taken to social media to question the commitment of one of the remaining 13 couples, Dianne Buswell and her celebrity partner Will Best, to series 24 of the BBC contest.
On Reddit, one viewer asked: "Does anyone else sense a slightly off-vibe between this pair?" They continued: "Wanted to know if others had noticed that Dianne always seems slightly uncomfortable/unimpressed in the partnering and their interactions are slightly uncomfortable and awkward."
Fans point to new parenthood and work pressures
Responding in the comments, another Redditor shared: "I would imagine that maybe they're both not 110% committed to Strictly this year. Dianne had her baby recently, and Will's partner just had one too, plus he's also working on Big Brother."
"Other couples commit to it completely and probably play up how excited they are or how well they get along (acting like besties when they just met.) Which is fine, to each their own," they added.
A third viewer commented: "Will now also has a newborn, so she has said that they’re doing short but intense training sessions, and I’m sure the last thing on both of their minds is doing socials instead of going home to their babies."
Dianne's recent motherhood and fan defences
While one fan remarked: "Dianne, to me, has seemed a bit subdued this season. Which is understandable since she’s had a baby and now has to balance that with Strictly. Or I was expecting that, and now I just have confirmation bias."
Dianne, who showcased her growing bump throughout last year's series, welcomed her first child, a son named Bowen, with partner Joe Sugg in March. The 37-year-old has continued to share updates on her first year of motherhood via Instagram and YouTube.
Many defended the couple's commitment. One rebutted: "Dianne put out a vlog a couple of days ago, and they seem to be having a really lovely time together and getting on so well."
"She couldn’t sing his praises highly enough & was saying he’s genuinely the nicest man in show business and she’s really enjoying working with him and she seemed really genuine about it. Will constantly says how amazing Dianne is, and he’s so lucky to have got her," they added.
Another fan echoed: "I mean, I think they are 110% committed, or else they just wouldn’t be leaving their small babies and dealing with the extra exhaustion to do it. I don’t think playing up how excited you are/how you’re best friends = them being committed, it just seems to have become the standard for people to overcompensate."
Will's newborn and upcoming performance
Earlier this week, Big Brother host Will revealed that he and his fiancée, Tobi Rose, welcomed their first child, a son named Sonny Best. The announcement came on Thursday, though it was reported the newborn arrived on Sunday morning (October 11), hours after Will performed live on Saturday night. The TV presenter is said to have rushed straight from the studio to the hospital.
Despite admitting to sleep deprivation, Will is determined to continue through the competition and will return to the dancefloor tonight (October 17) to perform a Jive to Elton John's Crocodile Rock for Icons Week, alongside Dianne.
