Dianne Buswell has revealed the heartwarming support she's been receiving from her father, while also responding to a comment about her return to Strictly Come Dancing with a succinct three-word reply.
The dancer disclosed her father's health struggles during her recent trip back home to Australia. Dianne's journey was tinged with both joy and sorrow as she mourned the loss of her cherished nan and shared that her father had been hospitalised due to illness.
Dianne took to Instagram to share an intimate snapshot of herself alongside her father in his hospital bed, captioning the post: "My dad my super hero,".
She later divulged more information about her father's health condition, revealing he underwent open heart surgery following regular check-ups that raised concerns about his heart after a previous cancer diagnosis.
In the latest episode of their podcast, Winning Isn't Everything, Dianne told her celebrity dance partner Chris McCausland that she was donning a hat in honour of her father, which he wore during the memorable Strictly final in December 2024, where they were crowned champions, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The professional dancer was quick to put minds at ease, stating: "He's doing well everyone. He's doing really well. First and foremost, I'm going to put that out there because we're very happy about this news that he is in recovery and the doctors think he's doing great.."
Dianne has spoken about the remarkable recovery of her father Mark, who astounded medical staff with his swift progress following a double heart bypass surgery due to a blocked main artery to his heart.
After being a constant presence by his bedside in the hospital, Dianne's dad is expressing his gratitude for her unwavering support with endearing messages. On Instagram, the Australian celeb posted several inspirational quotes related to fathers and their daughters.
Accompanying one of these quotes, Dianne expressed her emotions by posting a heart and a face holding back tears emoji, captioning it: "My dad just sent me this," and followed it up with another quote adorned with a heart and smiling face emojis, commenting: "And this one [heart and smiling face emojis]."
She heartfeltly mentioned, "Bless his strong beating heart," next to a red heart emoji.
In other news, it has been officially announced that Dianne will once again grace the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom floor later this year. The BBC has released the pro dancer lineup for series 23 of the popular dance competition in 2025.
Joining Dianne are fellow professionals Katya Jones, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Vito Coppola.
Upon hearing the announcement, Dianne shared her excitement on Instagram, coupled with a video showing highlights from her past seasons and an audio clip announcing 'she's back'. She penned: "So excited to be back on strictly for my 9th year (almost longer than I did at school).
"Last year made me have a whole new sense of gratitude towards this show. The opportunities I have been given will never be taken for granted and I will always continue to feel that way towards Strictly aka (the best show on telly) @bbcstrictly."
As messages of support from her Strictly colleagues and fans poured in, one particular comment stood out to Dianne. A follower asked: "Can you retain your crown?" to which she responded with "#winningisnteverything," accompanied by a crying laughing emoji.
Fans may remember that Dianne and Chris disclosed last year that this was the exact phrase her father used when he found out his daughter would be partnering with the comedian for Strictly's 20th anniversary series. This phrase has since become the title of their shared podcast.
