Dianne Buswell has shared her delight after being partnered with fellow Australian Stefan Dennis on Strictly Come Dancing. The professional dancer and Neighbours star performed their first live performance on Saturday night.
Stefan danced to the Neighbours theme with Dianne. They performed the first foxtrot of the series. They finished with a score of 22 – including a four from Craig and three sixes from the rest. After the performance, Dianne took to Instagram to share her thoughts about the performance.
She posed in a photo with the “Paul Robinson” star as she wrote: “It was a neighbours affair last night! My Aussie dreams came true . Dr Carl Kennedy and Paul Robinson together in the strictly studio STOP IT!!!
“Steffo my little Auzzie battler you did bonza from day one to now is just a miracle I’m glad you cancelled that flight home after day one. I’m already excited to get in the training room for week two.”
The reigning Strictly champion was supported by other Strictly stars in the comments. Amy Dowden wrote “fabulous” and Nancy Xu replied with love heart-eyed emojis.
Zoe Ball replied: “What a partnership”, alongside a red heart emoji. Fans of the Australian dance partners responded “Dianne you are looking absolutely radiant, you are a gorgeous pair! A delight to watch and I’m so excited for this journey.”
Another reply said: “Not long ago Dianne told that her partnership with Chris had taught her ‘that something doesn’t need to be perfect to be aesthetic and meaningful’. The first performance with partner Stefan was enjoyable, entertaining and promising! Growth and Dance.”
Stefan was the 12th celebrity to join the new series of Strictly. The actor is best known for playing Paul Robinson in Neighbours, the longest running drama series in Australian television history. He first appeared on the show in 1985 and appeared in over 6,000 episodes during the 40 years that the show was on air.
Prior to joining Neighbours, he took on a number of other roles in numerous shows such as Prisoner, The Henderson Kids, The Sullivans, Young Doctors and Sons and Daughters, to name a few.
On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Stefan said: “This is an opportunity for me to once again learn to step out of my comfort zone in the world of television. Looking forward to the sparkle and reaching for the sky.”
Away from the dance floor, Dianne has had an exciting couple of weeks. Earlier this week, the dancer announced earlier this month she was expecting a baby with her partner, Joe Sugg.
The news was announced in an adorable Instagram reel. The star met the YouTuber when they were paired together back in 2018 for the hit dance show, and their relationship has since blossomed. The couple made it to the competition’s final before being beaten by fellow contestants Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton.
While back stage with her celebrity partner, Stefan, on Saturday, the show was halted to throw her a “surprise baby shower”. After hearing their score, Claudia Winkleman told Dianne: “Dianne, you know we love you, so I say this from all of us. Welcome to your baby shower!”
As balloons and a bassinet were gifted to Dianne with a giant teddy inside, with Justin Bieber’s Baby playing in the studio, Dianne thanked her co-stars.