YouTube star Joe Sugg has urged fans not to be fooled by an AI-generated image falsely suggesting his partner Dianne Buswell had given birth. The couple, who announced they are expecting a baby boy in September, have been sharing pregnancy updates on social media, but Sugg revealed that even family and friends were taken in by the hoax.
In an Instagram video, Sugg explained that he woke up to messages from loved ones congratulating him on the news. He clarified that the photo was created by artificial intelligence, saying: 'That's not me. I don't know who it is but that's not me. That's not my chin. It's not my hair, unfortunately. That's not Dianne, that's not our baby – although I do hope he's that cute.'
Turning the camera to an expectant Buswell, she confirmed: 'I am still very much pregnant.' Sugg signed off with a warning: 'He's not here. It's AI. AI is scary.' In the caption, he added: 'I worry for the Facebook generation sometimes with all this AI malarkey.'
The post drew comments from fellow Strictly Come Dancing stars, including Vito Coppola and Gorka Marquez. Sugg and Buswell met on the show in 2018 and have been together since. Earlier this year, they shared a glimpse of their baby boy's nursery, featuring a bookshelf made by Sugg's late grandfather.
Sugg also commented on the 'rushed' nature of their pregnancy announcement in September, after a media outlet contacted them about publishing the news before they had told friends and family. He drew parallels to the departure of Strictly hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, suggesting similar pressure may have been involved.
