Strictly Come Dancing champ Chris McCausland made a joke at the expense of Dianne Buswell’s new partner Stefan Dennis over the latter’s motivation for signing up to the BBC show.
Dianne has been teamed up on Strictly with fellow Australian Stefan, famous for playing Paul Robinson on Neighbours on and off for 40 years until the show ended this year.
The actor, 66, says he joined the show so he can go ballroom dancing with his wife Gail Easdale, who dances herself.
Speaking on their Winning Isn’t Everything podcast, Dianne said: “He is so in love with his wife it’s incredible. He misses her so, so much. She’s back in Australia now. And she’s so lovely, but he really does miss her.
“He said to me on day one: ‘I would just love to actually dance with her.’ Because he’s never been able to do that.”
But Liverpool-born comedian Chris, who triumphed last year with Dianne, suggested there might have been a simpler way to improve his dancing ability.
He quipped: “It sounds nice doesn’t it, he could have gone for some dance lessons couldn’t he? You don’t need to wait for a national TV show from the other side of the world invites you to take part.”
Dianne fired back: “That’s true. I’m sure there’s some dance classes over there Stefo.”
Chris, 48, then continued: “The only way I can dance with you sweetheart is if a TV show from 12,000 miles the other side of the globe invites me to go over and take part.”
Last year’s winner did concede that his “heart melted” when Stefan declared he wanted to enter the reality show because he wanted to take his wife ballroom dancing.
Dianne, 36, recently revealed she and boyfriend Joe Sugg are expecting their first child next year. The dancer and Stefan will take to the dance floor for the first time on Saturday (September 27) after last weekend’s launch show.
She has been forced to hit back at critics who said it’s “uncomfortable and inappropriate” for her to be competing in Strictly while pregnant.
One troll wrote on Instagram: “I don’t want to see her dance being pregnant, it’s already feeling uncomfortable and she’s only starting to show. It’s really not appropriate.”
Dianne responded: “I can’t believe in 2025 things like this are still being said,” and she was met with a wave of support from her fans.
The dancer and her boyfriend, YouTuber Joe Sugg, announced they are expecting a baby boy.
The pair met during the 2018 series of Strictly when they were paired together, eventually finishing runners up to documentary maker Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton, who also later entered into a relationship.