The Strictly curse has quite a reputation, but there have been some real love stories to come out of it.
Dianne Buswell and her partner Joe Sugg are proof that things definitely can work off the dance floor!
The couple met four years ago when they were partnered on the BBC One show, coming second to Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton –
another Strictly love story. And when we catch up with Dianne, 33, it’s clear her relationship with Joe is still going from strength to strength.
Describing him as “one of a kind”, she gushes, “Joe’s like my little rock. He’s so supportive – we’re each other’s rock. He’s so busy with his work and I’m so busy with mine, but when we’re finally together after our crazy days, it’s so lovely.”
And Dianne says that despite their hectic work schedules, they always make time for each other.
“Even though sometimes it might be weeks when we’re apart because of me touring or him working, we both have so much respect for each other’s jobs that it’s so easy and so chilled,” she says. “He’s amazing, I couldn’t do it without him, and vice versa.”
So how do they keep their spark alive? It’s all down to date nights, Dianne tells us. “We make sure our times together are always scheduled, so that we know when we’ll be together again,” she says. “He always says absence makes the heart grow fonder – and it really does.”
When we quiz Dianne on whether she could be expecting an engagement ring any time soon, she tells us, “That’s not for me to answer!”
However, it’s clear she’s in the relationship for the long-run. “Obviously, I’d love to be with Joe forever so whether we get married or not, as long as we’re together then I’m happy,” she says.
Dianne is currently busy working on the Strictly tour – and she tells us it’s “amazing” to be back in front of an audience.
“The Strictly cast have been like my family since I moved over here,” she says. “I sometimes can’t believe how close we are.”
And it isn’t just the professionals who are passionate about the show – four years on, Joe still loves dancing.
“He [Joe] actually came to the Strictly tour the other night, and in the interval, I caught him in the dressing room with his arms up into his ballroom hold, and I was like ‘Are you practising your dancing in front of the mirror?!’ He was like, ‘Yeah, does it look good?’ It was so funny,” Dianne laughs.
“So, we still do dance, especially when we’re watching dancing together. He does love it and he’s very good at it, I must say. His ballroom has improved leaps and bounds.”
On whether they would like to partner up again on any future projects, Dianne says, “Yeah, we definitely have lots of ideas in the pipeline. It’s just finding the time for us at the moment. But there are definitely ideas there.”
Last year, Dianne was paired with Peep Show actor Robert Webb. But their journey on the competition was sadly cut short as Robert had to pull out for health reasons.
Looking back, the Australian native says, “You never want to leave when you’re in a competition – you want to stay until the end. But obviously Robert had to look after himself and it was an absolutely valid reason that he left the show.”
Dianne now “has a fire in her belly” for the next series. “One thing I’ve learned with Strictly is you just never know what partner you’re going to get, you never know what’s going to happen, what the audience will love and what they maybe don’t take to as much. You just have to take the good with the bad with Strictly and enjoy every single week as it comes,” she admits.
While she’s looking forward to returning as one of the professional dancers, she says she’s open to new opportunities in the future.
“I would love to do some other, brand new stuff,” she admits. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy continuing on with Strictly, but I do love trying out new things.
“At the moment, I’m really happy with where I am and what I’m doing, I couldn’t think of not doing my dancing, but never say never!”
Proving that she’s open to a challenge, Dianne has just teamed up with deodorant brand Sure, which saw her and her partner Pasquale La Rocca dancing nonstop for 12.6km over two hours and 12 minutes and setting a new Guinness World Record for the furthest distance danced by a couple.
“I found the research on how many people get put off exercise because of sweat and smell worries really interesting. And it’s amazing that the Sure 72Hour Nonstop Protection stops people from feeling self-conscious,” she says. “If it can give someone a bit more courage to get out there and get moving, as well as get them feeling happy in their own skin, then I’m all for that!”
- Dianne relied on Sure's new 72H Nonstop Protection Antiperspirant to keep her protected from sweat and odour throughout her record breaking attempt.
