Dianne Buswell will become the first Strictly Come Dancing professional to compete on the BBC show while pregnant, after announcing she and partner Joe Sugg are expecting a baby boy. The 36-year-old dancer and the YouTuber—who met on Strictly in 2018—shared the news on Instagram last weekend as the series returned to screens and viewers prepared to learn which celebrity will be paired with Buswell on Saturday night.
Buswell, who rose to prominence on the dance floor during the 2018 season, will perform on the show this season in what will be a historic milestone for the program. Sugg, 33, has supported Buswell publicly throughout the pregnancy announcement, and the couple said they are excited to welcome their first child together. The BBC competition has long intertwined romance and dance, and Buswell’s pregnancy adds a new dimension to the show’s ongoing narrative as it returns to a devoted audience.
The pair met on Strictly in 2018, a year that proved pivotal for many couples linked to the series. While Buswell and Sugg’s news has dominated headlines, the broader storylines around Strictly couples reflect a pattern: several dance partners and celebrities who connected on the show have gone on to raise families, sometimes years after their time on the glittering ballroom concluded. The show’s history includes a string of relationships and marriages that emerged from the competition, underscoring how the program has become a cultural touchstone beyond the dance floor.
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton, who found romance after their 2018 season, welcomed their first child together with Minnie in 2023. Dooley later published a personal memoir and continued to build a family life alongside her career. Kevin Clifton, a longtime Strictly veteran, has since balanced his stage work with family life, underscoring how the show’s influence extends into both personal and professional realms. Dooley’s later public reflections on motherhood have highlighted the evolution of her post-Strictly career as well.
Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Márquez, who crossed paths in 2017 on the show, have built a family alongside their dance commitments. They welcomed daughter Mia in 2019 and their son Thiago arrived in 2023, with Márquez speaking in interviews about balancing life as a touring dancer with fatherhood and family commitments. The couple has often discussed the challenges of long-distance travel and the demands of professional schedules as they raise their children.
Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev, who met when paired together in 2013, built a family after their time on Strictly. They welcomed daughter Maven in 2019 and daughter Noa in 2021, with Kovalev stepping away from full-time competition to focus on family life. Riley, meanwhile, continued her presenting career, linking the Strictly chapter to later professional ventures.
Janette Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec, one of the show’s most enduring partnerships since joining in 2013, married in 2017 and welcomed their first child, Lyra, in 2023. The couple’s journey highlights how Strictly alumni have leveraged their platform to pursue family life while continuing to shape their careers in television and dance.
Ola and James Jordan, whose 20-year partnership began on Strictly’s early years, welcomed daughter Ella in February 2020 after a lengthy process to start their family. They have since spoken publicly about how parenthood has redefined their lives and careers, balancing family with ongoing performance commitments.
Kristina Rihanoff and Ben Cohen formed a high-profile pairing after meeting on the show in 2013. They welcomed daughter Milena, who is now nine, as they navigated life together after Strictly. Rihanoff stepped away from the program years ago but has remained a familiar presence in the broader dance world and media.
Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova, longtime Strictly pros who joined the show early in its run, are parents to Valentina, 10, and Lucia Elizabeth, born in 2020. Their partnership—spanning more than a decade—has extended into global spin-offs and judging roles on other programs, illustrating the international reach of Strictly alumni.
These stories illustrate how the “Strictly curse” narrative—often cited in tabloids and entertainment coverage—has evolved into a broader, more nuanced tapestry of families formed or strengthened through the show. The arrival of Buswell’s child will add a new chapter to this ongoing chronicle, reinforcing the program’s role as both a competitive platform and a cultural incubator for personal stories.
Buswell’s pregnancy is, in many ways, a milestone within a broader trend of Strictly alumni building families while managing demanding careers. The BBC has historically balanced show production with the personal lives of its performers, and commuters and fans alike have followed these personal arcs with the same attention given to flawless routines and dazzling performances. As the season unfolds, audiences will watch not only for the next celebrity-revealed pairing and the cast’s on-screen chemistry, but also for how Buswell navigates competition while carrying a child and maintaining the high standards the show expects.
The news arrives as Strictly Come Dancing enters a new cycle, with an emphasis on renewal and a continued focus on the human stories behind the dance. For Buswell, the milestone marks a rare moment in televised competition history, offering viewers a glimpse into how a professional dancer and partner navigate pregnancy within the pressures of live performance and a high-profile media event. Fans and observers alike will be watching the season closely to see how Buswell’s routines adapt and how the show frames this historic moment within its enduring tradition of celebration, resilience, and entertainment.