Pregnant Diane Buswell Shines After 10+ Hours of Strictly Rehearsals Amid Wellbeing Concerns

Dianne Buswell appeared in good spirits as she was spotted leaving the Strictly Come Dancing studios on Thursday evening, following an 11-and-a-half-hour day at rehearsals.

The professional dancer, 36, who recently announced she is expecting a baby boy with boyfriend Joe Sugg, 34, beamed as she departed the studio with her pal and fellow dancer Vito Coppola, 32. 

After arriving at 10am, the star was seen leaving at 9.21pm as she wrapped up warm for the evening, sporting a grey corduroy button-up shirt layered over a black satin shirt and a white T-shirt. 

She teamed the look with black jogging bottoms and comfy off-white trainers and carried a Superdrug bag. 

Meanwhile, Vito cut a laid-back figure in a black T-shirt and grey shorts, pairing the casual ensemble with white sport socks and Adidas trainers. 

The professional dancer sightings come just days after insiders voiced concerns for Dianne’s wellbeing amid Strictly’s ‘gruelling 10-hour rehearsals’ – following her joyful pregnancy announcement last week.

Dianne is said to be ‘taking it at her own pace’ with ‘regular breaks’ as she becomes the first ever Strictly professional to compete on the show while pregnant.

An insider told Daily Mail: ‘There are duty of care and welfare measures in place for everyone working on Strictly.

‘As with all sessions, there will have been regular breaks and rest/warm-up periods, and the rehearsal will have been led by Dianne and tailored to the pace of her and her partner.’ 

Previously, The Sun claimed that Diane’s ‘marathon Strictly Come Dancing rehearsal went on for a gruelling ten hours,’ but insiders disputed this claim.

Also pictured leaving the studios separately on Thursday was former dance partners Jowita Przystal and Pete Wicks, who previously sparked romance rumours during their time on the show. 

Just last month, fans were convinced the former TOWIE star, 36, and professional dancer, 31, were an item after Pete shared a slew of cosy snaps from their Strictly experience on Instagram. 

But the pair left the studio separately as Jowita kept it casual in a black knit jumper layered under a black denim jacket with exposed stitching.

She paired her look with wide-leg black trousers and white trainers, carrying a Stanley water bottle in hand. 

Pete opted for a stylish mustard yellow suede bomber jacket, worn over a navy top and faded blue jeans. 

He looked engrossed in his phone as he departed, carrying his essentials in a large weekend bag. 

Diane’s pregnancy announcement came just one week before the hit show returns to our screens for a new series – which will run up until the week before Christmas this year. 

Back in 2014, then pro on Strictly Erin Boag revealed she had quit the show when she found out she was pregnant. 

At the time, she was expecting her first baby with her husband Peter O’Dowd and told The Mirror: ‘There’s been much speculation about my absence from this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, but I can now reveal the real reason why I turned it down.’ 

She added: ‘Yes, I’m truly excited and delighted to say I’m pregnant. It’s such a relief to be able to tell all as it’s been strictly mum’s the word these past few months.’

When she quit, she was one of only three dancers to have appeared in all 10 series of the BBC show since it started in 2002. 

Dianne shared her happy news about her pregnancy on her Instagram on Sunday. 

For their pregnancy reveal video, poignantly set to Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, the couple set up an easel and pretended to paint a picture together, with playful dramatics.

They then picked up the canvas to display it to the camera, revealing a drawing of two stickmen – one with Dianne’s signature flaming red hair – holding hands with a baby.

The couple added that their first child was due in 2026 and even revealed the sex of their little one, declaring they were expecting a son.

Joe captioned the clip: ‘Our little baby boy ❤️ we cannot wait to meet you’.

The couple were flooded with congratulatory comments from friends and fans, with their fellow Strictly stars leading the well-wishes.

Joe and Dianne struck up a romance when they were paired together during the sixteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.

And Dianne has made lots of hints towards their baby plans in recent months, admitting in May that she was desperate to become a mum.

But the star, who won the Glitterball Trophy with partner Chris McCausland last year, explained that the gruelling demands of her showbiz career had put their family plans on hold.

She told The Sun: ‘I would like to have children, 100 per cent. Joe and I love kids, and that’s definitely something that we would absolutely love. I haven’t really thought about how many I would like. It will definitely happen.’