Strictly Come Dancing star Dianne Buswell has opened up about one of the most challenging moments of her life, revealing that she feared she might never dance again following the birth of her first child with partner Joe Sugg.

The professional dancer, who won Strictly in 2024, welcomed son Bowden “Bowie” in March. While becoming a mother marked an exciting new chapter for Dianne, she has now revealed that the period immediately after his arrival was far more difficult than many fans may have realised.

After undergoing an emergency C-section, Dianne was left in considerable pain and struggled with even basic movements during the early stages of her recovery.

For someone whose career has been built around extraordinary physical strength, flexibility and movement, the experience left her questioning whether she would ever be able to return to the dance floor.

Dianne opens up about difficult C-section recovery

Speaking candidly on the Oxydise podcast, Dianne recalled how physically overwhelming the first days after giving birth became.

She explained that she was effectively confined to bed while simultaneously dealing with the emotional and hormonal changes that accompany becoming a new mother.

“You basically are bedridden, also it’s your hormones going wild as well,” she said.

Dianne explained that alongside the pain, she was trying to focus all her attention on her newborn son — despite struggling to move independently.

“You’ve got that on top of pain on top of having this newborn and wanting to give it all your attention, but also you can’t even get out of bed,” she recalled.

Even movements that would normally seem effortless suddenly became enormous challenges.

For the professional dancer, simply sitting upright could feel like a major physical task.

‘I just burst into tears’

Dianne recalled one particularly difficult night when the extent of her pain became overwhelming.

She needed to get out of bed to use the bathroom but found the simple act of moving almost unbearable.

“Even to sit up is like a real mission,” she explained.

“There was one night I had to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, and I just burst into tears because of the pain of just sitting up or having to manoeuvre myself out of bed was just unbearable.”

It was a vulnerable moment for a performer accustomed to pushing her body through demanding rehearsals, live performances and intense dance routines.

The dramatic change in what her body could physically do inevitably led Dianne to think about her future.

Dianne feared her dancing career could be over

As she struggled through those early days of recovery, Dianne admitted her thoughts quickly turned towards her career.

She began questioning whether her body would ever regain the strength and mobility required for professional dancing.

“I was like, ‘How am I going to recover, and will I ever be able to dance again?’” she revealed.

The fear was particularly powerful because Dianne felt she had temporarily lost some of the physical abilities that had defined much of her life.

“That was my initial thoughts,” she continued. “I was like, ‘This has absolutely torn through my muscles. I’m never going to be able to dance again. I’ve lost all mobility in my legs. I’ve lost my core strength.’”

Describing the experience simply, she added: “It was very intense.”

For Dianne, dancing is far more than simply a job. After years of performing professionally and becoming one of Strictly Come Dancing’s most recognisable dancers, suddenly questioning whether she could continue was understandably frightening.

A major turning point came after two weeks

Fortunately, Dianne’s fears began to ease as her recovery progressed.

She revealed that the first two weeks were the toughest period, describing them as the “main struggle”.

Once she passed that milestone, however, things began changing quickly.

Dianne said she “started to feel so much better”, providing an encouraging turning point after an emotionally and physically exhausting start to motherhood.

Her recovery ultimately allowed her to gradually rebuild her strength — and her worst fears about never dancing again did not become reality.

Instead, she is now preparing for a return to the programme that has played such an important role in her career.

Motherhood begins a new chapter for Dianne and Joe

Dianne and Joe announced the arrival of Bowden “Bowie” in March, introducing their first child to followers with a sweet social media post.

The couple’s journey together has been closely followed by Strictly fans ever since they met through the BBC competition.

Joe competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 and was partnered with Dianne. Their partnership eventually developed into a relationship away from the ballroom, and they have since become one of the programme’s most popular couples.

Welcoming Bowie marked another major milestone in their story.

But Dianne’s latest comments have also offered a more candid glimpse behind the joyful photographs, showing the physical challenges she faced while adapting to life as a first-time mother.

Dianne prepares for her Strictly comeback

Perhaps the clearest sign of how far Dianne has come is that she is among the professional dancers returning for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Just months after wondering whether she would ever be capable of dancing professionally again, she is preparing to step back into the ballroom.

The 2026 series is also taking shape with a new group of celebrities ready to compete for the Glitterball Trophy.

Former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips has been confirmed as the tenth celebrity contestant in the line-up.

He joins previously announced names including Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Bethany Antonia and Jaime Winstone.

For Dianne, however, this year’s return could carry a particularly personal significance.

After the joy of welcoming Bowie, the ordeal of an emergency C-section and those frightening early days when she questioned whether her dancing career might be over, stepping onto the Strictly floor again represents another milestone in an extraordinary year.

What began with the fear that she might “never be able to dance again” has instead become a story of recovery, motherhood and a much-anticipated return to the ballroom.