Introduction
Dianne Claire Buswell (born 6 May 1989) is an Australian professional dancer. She is best known for her appearances on the British television show Strictly Come Dancing. After competing on Dancing with the Stars in Australia, she joined the British series in 2017, reaching the final in 2018 and 2023 with Joe Sugg and Bobby Brazier respectively. She is currently signed to Sugg's company, MVE Management.
Career
Buswell is a former Australian Open champion and four-time Amateur Australian Open finalist. She and her brother Andrew Buswell were Western Australian Open Adult New Vogue champions for 2008 and 2010. She also appeared on So You Think You Can Dance Australia.
Buswell turned professional at the age of 21 when she joined the touring dance company Burn the Floor in January 2011. In 2015, she was a professional dancer on the fifteenth season of Australia's Dancing with the Stars, paired with AFL star Jude Bolton; they were the fifth couple eliminated.
Strictly Come Dancing
Buswell moved to the United Kingdom, where she joined the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing – the original version of Dancing with the Stars – in 2017. Her celebrity partner for the 2017 series was the Reverend Richard Coles. They were the second couple eliminated in the series, losing the dance-off to Simon Rimmer and Karen Hauer in a unanimous decision. Buswell was paired with television presenter Tim Vincent for the 2017 Children in Need special.
For the sixteenth series of the show in 2018, she was partnered with YouTuber Joe Sugg. They were runners-up, alongside Faye Tozer and Giovanni Pernice and Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev, behind Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton. In early 2019, the couple performed in the Strictly Come Dancing Live! tour, winning 28 of the 29 shows.
Buswell returned for her third series in 2019, paired with radio DJ Dev Griffin. They were the third couple to leave the show, after losing a dance-off to Emma Weymouth and Aljaž Skorjanec.
For series 18 in 2020, she was partnered with The Wanted singer, Max George. They were the third couple to be eliminated, after losing a dance-off to Maisie Smith and Gorka Marquez.
Buswell returned for series 19 in 2021, partnered with Robert Webb, a comedian, actor and writer. Webb withdrew from the competition after three weeks, due to ill health.
In 2022, she was paired with radio and television presenter Tyler West for series 20. They were the eighth couple to be eliminated after losing a dance-off to Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu.
In 2023, she was paired with actor and model Bobby Brazier for series 21. They finished as runners-up, alongside Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin, behind series champions Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola.
| Series | Partner | Place | Average Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Reverend Richard Coles | 14th | 16.0 |
| 16 | Joe Sugg | 2nd | 32.8 |
| 17 | Dev Griffin | 13th | 30.0 |
| 18 | Max George | 9th | 27.3 |
| 19 | Robert Webb | 13th | 24.0 |
| 20 | Tyler West | 8th | 32.2 |
| 21 | Bobby Brazier | 2nd | 33.8 |
| 22 | Chris McCausland |
Colour key:
Highest and lowest scoring per dance
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Smooth | Chris McCausland | 37 | Reverend Richard Coles | 17 |
| Argentine Tango | Joe Sugg Bobby Brazier | 30 | ||
| Cha-Cha-Cha | Tyler West | 35 | Reverend Richard Coles | 17 |
| Charleston | Joe Sugg Tyler West | 38 | Bobby Brazier | 29 |
| Couple's Choice | Bobby Brazier | 39 | Max George | 32 |
| Foxtrot | Joe Sugg | 35 | Bobby Brazier Chris McCausland | 29 |
| Jive | Bobby Brazier | Joe Sugg Dev Griffin Max George | 27 | |
| Paso Doble | Joe Sugg | 39 | Reverend Richard Coles | 14 |
| Quickstep | Joe Sugg Bobby Brazier | 38 | Robert Webb | 25 |
| Rumba | ||||
| Salsa | Joe Sugg | 36 | Chris McCausland | 30 |
| Samba | Bobby Brazier | 39 | Chris McCausland | 26 |
| Showdance | Joe Sugg Bobby Brazier | |||
| Tango | Tyler West | 32 | Max George | 23 |
| Viennese Waltz | Bobby Brazier | Joe Sugg Tyler West | 29 | |
| Waltz | Chris McCausland | 35 | Joe Sugg | 29 |
In the following tables, red text indicates the couple(s) with the lowest score for that week.
Series 15: with Reverend Richard Coles
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)” | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 17 | No Elimination |
| 2 | American Smooth / "Love Really Hurts Without You” | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 17 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "Flash's Theme” | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 | Eliminated |
Series 16: with Joe Sugg
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Jive / "Take On Me" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Charleston / "Cotton Eye Joe" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 3 | American Smooth / "Breaking Free" | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 4 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Just Got Paid" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 5 | Waltz / "Rainbow Connection" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 6 | Foxtrot / "Youngblood" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso Doble / "Pompeii" | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
| 8 | Samba / "MMMBop" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 32 | Safe |
| 9 | Quickstep / "Dancin' Fool" | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 38 | Safe |
| 10 | Street / "Jump Around" | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 35 | Safe |
| 11 | Salsa / "Joseph Megamix" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 36 | Safe |
| 12 | Viennese Waltz / "This Year's Love" | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| Argentine Tango / "Red Right Hand" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30 | ||
| 13 / Final | Paso Doble / "Pompeii" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Runner-up |
| Showdance / "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | ||
| Charleston / "Cotton Eye Joe" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | ||
Series 17: with Dev Griffin
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "Build Me Up Buttercup” | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Dance with Me Tonight” | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 3 | Street / "Friend Like Me" (2019) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 4 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Dancing with a Stranger" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Eliminated |
Series 18: with Max George
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Ballas | Mabuse | ||||
| 1 | Tango / "Best Fake Smile" | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "I'm a Believer" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 | Safe |
| 3 | Couple's Choice / "The Simpsons Theme" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Safe |
| 4 | American Smooth / "It Had to Be You" | 5 | 7 | 8 | 20 | Eliminated |
Series 19: with Robert Webb
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Rasputin (song)” | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 20 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Tango / "La cumparsita" | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / The Muppet Show Theme | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 25 | Safe |
Series 20: with Tyler West
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | American Smooth / "Falling” | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 22 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Hit the Road Jack" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston / "Flash, Bang, Wallop" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 38 | Safe |
| 4 | Couple's Choice / "Garage Megamix" | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango / "Doctor Who theme" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 6 | Cha-cha-cha / "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 35 | Safe |
| 7 | Viennese waltz / "I've Been Loving You Too Long" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 8 | Paso Doble / "Unstoppable" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 31 | Bottom two |
| 9 | Salsa / "KC & The Sunshine Band mix" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Eliminated |
Series 21: with Bobby Brazier
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "All About You” | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 29 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Charleston / "Do Your Thing” | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 3 | Samba / "Young Hearts Run Free” | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Fashion” | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 5 | Viennese waltz / "Golden Hour” | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 32 | Safe |
| 6 | Cha-cha-cha / "Come On-a My House” | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 7 | Argentine tango / "Sail” | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 8 | American Smooth / "Ghost of You" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 32 | Safe |
| 9 | Jive / "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Bottom two |
| 10 | Couple's Choice / "This Woman's Work" | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
| 11 | Salsa / "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 34 | No elimination |
| 12 | Quickstep / "Mack the Knife" Paso Doble / "Run Boy Run" | 9 8 | 9 9 | 10 9 | 10 9 | 38 35 | Bottom two |
| 13 | Samba / "Young Hearts Run Free" Showdance / La La Land medley Couple's Choice / "This Woman's Work" | 9 9 9 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 39 39 39 | Runner-up |
Series 22: with Chris McCausland
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revel Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Twist and Shout” | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 23 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Wayne's World Theme” | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 4 | Salsa / "Down Under" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 5 | Waltz / "You'll Never Walk Alone" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 6 | Samba / "Stayin' Alive" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 7 | Tango / "Rock and Roll All Nite" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 8 | Couple's Choice / "Instant Karma!" | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 33 | Safe |
| 9 | American Smooth / "Jump" | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
- Notes
- ^a Alfonso Ribeiro filled in for Tonioli
- ^b Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions Mabuse had to be replaced with Anton du Beke for week 4 of Series 18.
- ^c Webb withdrew from series 19 during week 4 for health reasons, thus the couple effectively finished in 13th place.
- ^d Tony Adams and Katya Jones were announced as the other couple in the bottom two. However, they did not compete in the dance-off due to Adams sustaining a hamstring injury, subsequently leading him to withdraw from the competition, and West to automatically advance to the next round.
- ^e Due to the withdrawal of Nigel Harman and Katya Jones that occurred hours before the start of the live show, there was no elimination during week 11 of series 21.
Christmas Specials
In 2017, Buswell danced with football player and pundit Robbie Savage for the show's Christmas special. In 2019, Buswell partnered Joe Sugg in the Christmas special. In 2021, she was paired with maître d'hôtel and television personality Fred Sirieix for the Christmas special.
YouTube and other media work
Buswell started a YouTube channel in March 2019, and in December of that year, she was named as the UK's most-subscribed new YouTuber of 2019, having gained almost 230,000 subscribers.
Before becoming a professional dancer, Buswell was a hairdresser, and in 2021, she had a podcast with BBC Sounds called 'Di's Salon', in which she chatted to guests as they looked back at the hairstyles they have had over the years.
In 2022, Buswell participated in the reality series Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof on BBC One.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Dancing with the Stars (Australia) | Professional Dancer | |
| 2017 – present | Strictly Come Dancing | Professional Dancer | |
| 2022 | Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof | Contestant |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2014 | Burn The Floor | Dancer | Touring |
| 2024 | Strictly Professionals | Dancer | UK Touring |
| 2025 | Dianne & Vito: Red Hot and Ready | Dancer | UK Touring |
Podcast
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Di's Salon | Host |
Personal life
Buswell was born in Bunbury, Western Australia. She began dancing at age 5, and went on to compete from an early age in State, National and International Ballroom and Latin events.
Buswell dated soap actor Anthony Quinlan from late 2017 to October 2018.
In late 2018, Buswell began dating Joe Sugg, her celebrity partner from Strictly Come Dancing. The couple confirmed that they were living together in August 2019. In February 2021, they revealed that they had bought their first house together.