Strictly Come Dancing professional Dianne Buswell has prompted concern among fans after missing the recording of a major group dance for the show's upcoming series.
The Daily Mail revealed that the Australian dancer, 37, was the only pro who did not take part in the routine recorded this week. Show bosses had planned the high-octane performance to introduce five new professional dancers to viewers and celebrate a new era for the BBC ballroom competition.
Strictly Come Dancing, which launched on the BBC in 2004, pairs celebrities with professional dancers to compete in ballroom and Latin routines each autumn.
"It was really odd Dianne wasn't there," an insider said. "Producers had planned the dance for the specific reason of making a big fuss of the newbies and new era of Strictly."
The insider described the performance as "their very first group number together which was pretty spectacular and included big, glitzy props." They added: "Lots of questions were asked during the breaks about where Dianne was but the crew were reluctant to say anything."
However, another show insider reassured fans about the dancer's absence. "There's no need for fans to be concerned," they said, noting that Buswell has been rehearsing with her fellow professionals over the past month and will feature in the majority of group numbers this series.
A Strictly spokesperson insisted Buswell was never scheduled to perform in the routine, though they declined to state why. "As is standard on Strictly, not every Pro dancer appears in every group routine," the spokesperson added.
Absence from Launch Routine
Buswell gave birth to her first child, a baby boy named Bowden, in March with her partner, 34-year-old YouTube star Joe Sugg. She previously told her 1.2 million Instagram followers that she would miss her baby boy "so much" while away taking part in rehearsals.
The upcoming series marks Buswell's ninth year on Strictly Come Dancing. She first met Sugg on the show when he competed alongside her as her celebrity partner in 2018, finishing as a runner-up in the competition.
Buswell was among the fortunate professional dancers to survive a mass cull of long-standing cast members ahead of the new series. Venezuelan dancer Karen Hauer, who was Strictly's longest-serving female professional, was axed by producers alongside Michelle Tsiakkas, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk, and Gorka Marquez.
Professional Lineup and Studio Setup
Despite the cast changes, the show's iconic set was rebuilt earlier this month at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire. Located in Borehamwood, the facility has hosted Strictly Come Dancing's studio production since 2013.
Buswell returns to the dance floor alongside fellow returning dancers Katya Jones, Kai Widdrington, Aljaž Škorjanec, Lauren Oakley, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Alexis Warr, Julian Caillon, and Vito Coppola.
The show's five new professional dancers include Ukrainian dancer Aleksandra Isaeva, Italian hunk Cristian Priori, South African Latin champion Lethabo Monametsi, Canadian dancer Mark Karmalita, and UK National Ballroom Champion Maddie Ingoldsby.
New Hosts and Celebrity Lineup
The upcoming series also features major changes to the presenting team. Presenter Emma Willis, former professional dancer Johannes Radebe, and comedian Josh Widdicombe are taking over hosting duties from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, who stepped down last year after co-hosting the flagship show together since 2014.
The new celebrity lineup has faced criticism from viewers, with some fans lambasting it as the "worst ever" in the show's 22-year history.
Contestants competing this year include former Love Island star Dani Dyer, Australian singer Delta Goodrem, dog trainer Graeme "The Dogfather" Hall, YouTuber John Nellis, and actress Jaime Winstone.
