Dianne Buswell defends her Strictly costumes and celebrates her post-baby body
Eight months after welcoming son Bowden, Dianne says she loves her body and her Strictly outfits as she and Will Best continue their run.
Dianne Buswell’s answer to criticism of her Strictly costumes was direct: she loves the outfits, and she loves her body. Eight months after giving birth to her son, Bowden, the professional dancer says she is still breastfeeding and weighs more than she ever has. She sees no reason to apologise for how she looks on the dance floor.
The comments followed a quickstep with TV presenter Will Best. One viewer questioned the series’ wardrobe choices, describing some of Buswell’s costumes as “frumpy” and suggesting the department might have faced a budget cut. Buswell replied beneath the video, making clear that the clothes themselves weren’t the issue for her.
“I have loved all my outfits,” she wrote. “I had a baby 8 months ago I’m still breast feeding and I’m bigger than I have ever been so actually it’s just that I have more weight on me but I love my body and how I look in my costumes.” Another commenter praised her dress and the choreography.
Her response draws a clear line between the way an audience might judge a costume and the way the dancer feels wearing it. The viewer’s post focused on whether the designs were flattering; Buswell’s answer put her own experience at the centre. She says she feels good in them, while acknowledging that her body has changed since becoming a mother.
From pregnancy to the dance floor
Buswell, 37, joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 and has since become a familiar face among the professional dancers. She met Joe Sugg, now 35, while competing on the 2018 series. The pair confirmed their relationship after the final and welcomed Bowden in March 2026.
Her return to the programme followed a busy period: she continued dancing with actor Stefan Dennis while pregnant, then came back this autumn to partner Best. The source describes her as the only professional to have competed while pregnant. That experience gives her latest reply added weight. She has faced criticism about performing during pregnancy before, and now she’s answering comments about what she wears after giving birth.
Last series, one viewer wrote that seeing her dance while pregnant felt uncomfortable and was “not appropriate”. Buswell shared the message and responded: “I can’t believe in 2025 things like this are still being said.” Earlier that season, she said she planned to keep doing her usual work, with more care around lifts. She told Chris McCausland on the Winning Isn’t Everything podcast that her doctor had said everything was normal and encouraged her to continue with the activities she already knew as a dancer.
A changing body, and a strong competition run
Buswell and Sugg often share parts of family life online, including her pregnancy and their early months as parents. After the Strictly launch, she posted an image of her baby bump alongside the words “Strong enough to bear the children…” and paired it with footage of herself dancing with Best and the line “Then get back to business”. The lyric references Beyoncé’s “Who Run the World (Girls)”. Buswell also said she misses her bump.
She used the post to encourage other mothers to find their own way after giving birth, writing that there was “no right or wrong” and that nobody should make them feel otherwise. Strictly colleagues Amy Dowden, Nancy Xu and Oti Mabuse joined the supportive replies. Best, too, became a first-time father weeks ago, according to the source.
On the competition side, Buswell and Best have avoided the dance-off so far. Their quickstep to Maroon 5’s “This Love” earned 29 points, putting them in the middle of the leaderboard. The judges awarded one six, one seven and two eights. Craig Revel Horwood called for “slight improvements”; Anton Du Beke said Best “looked so lovely”, while head judge Shirley Ballas described the performance as a definite improvement and said they were moving in the right direction.
That score leaves room for the partnership to climb, and the judges’ comments point to a routine that is progressing rather than one that has peaked. Buswell’s reply to the costume criticism is just as firm: her body has changed, her work has continued, and she’s comfortable in the clothes she’s dancing in. Strictly airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
