Strictly Come Dancing champion Dianne Buswell revealed she was left fuming with her dance partner Chris McCausland after their initial encounter.
In their Winning isn’t Everything podcast, Chris remembered a moment on the first day when he mistakenly guessed Dianne’s origins.
Speaking about it, he said: “I was talking to a few of the (professional) dancers and you came and joined the little gang and you said your name and you said ‘where do you think I’m from?'”
He thought the Australian dancer hailed from Essex, which didn’t sit well with her. Dianne shared her reaction: “You said I was from Essex, and I was absolutely fuming. I then went a lot more Aussie after. I was like ‘I am from Australia mate’ (in a distinctly Australian accent) and you were like ‘oh sorry sorry’.”
Despite this, she acknowledged that even before teaming up with Chris, she had hoped to dance with him.
The danger explained she had been an admirer of his work and that her partner Joe Sugg was also a fan. She explained: “Even though I didn’t think I’d win with you, I did really want to dance with you, because I’d watched a lot of your stuff, I was a bit of super fan beforehand and Joe (Sugg, her partner) loved you.”
The duo’s chemistry ultimately triumphed as they danced their way to victory in December, securing the Glitterball trophy in Strictly’s 22nd series, defeating fellow finalists Tasha Ghouri, JB Gill, and Sarah Hadland.
Chris’ victory held additional importance as he became the first blind celebrity to win in the show’s 20-year history. Chris, who is best known for his stand-up comedy, climbed the ranks of the UK comedy circuit after starting in the early 2000s.
His performances were so well-received that he eventually took his act on a nationwide tour. His success led to appearances on television, most notably on BBC’s Live at the Apollo.