Strictly Come Dancing’s Dianne Buswell cut a glum figure on Thursday, hours after her celebrity partner Robert Webb quit the show due to ill health.
The professional dancer, 32, ditched the sequins in favour of a navy jumper and black joggers as she stocked up on groceries before heading on a run in West Sussex.
Dianne had been forced to make an early exit from the BBC dance show as comedian Robert pulled out of the competition two years after open-heart surgery, stating he’d ‘bitten off way more than I could chew’.
Felling down? Strictly Come Dancing’s Dianne Buswell cut a glum figure on Thursday, hours after her celebrity partner Robert Webb quit the show due to ill health
The flame-haired beauty teamed her sportswear with light grey trainers, while she also worked up a sweat by adding a weighted running vest.
Dianne swept her red locks into a high ponytail, while she went make-up free for the outing.
The Australian dancer was also seen wearing bright red headphones as she pounded the pavements amid her departure from Strictly.
Leaving: Dianne had been forced to make an early exit from the BBC dance show as comedian Robert pulled out of the competition two years after open-heart surgery
It comes following Robert’s shock announcement on Wednesday night, in which he admitted he had ‘bitten off more than he could chew’, having an ongoing heart condition and two years after undergoing open-heart surgery.
Robert said of the decision: ‘I’m extremely sorry to have to announce that I’m withdrawing from Strictly Come Dancing due to ill health.
‘Two years ago I had open heart surgery and although I believed I was fit enough to take on Strictly and its demanding schedule, it became clear that I had bitten off way more than I could chew for this stage in my recovery.
Outing: Dianne didn’t appear in the mood for smiling as she stepped out one day after Robert’s announcement
Relaxed look: The professional dancer, 32, ditched the sequins in favour of a navy jumper and black joggers as she stocked up on groceries before heading on a run in West Sussex
Off-duty: Dianne swept her red locks into a high ponytail, while she went make-up free for the outing
Out and about: With intense training sessions now on hold, the beauty used her time to stock up on groceries
‘I had begun to feel symptoms that led me to seek an urgent consultation with my heart specialist, and it was her view that it would be better for the sake of my health to step back from the show.’
He went on: ‘I’m proud of the three dances that Dianne Buswell and I managed to perform and deeply regret having to let her down like this. I couldn’t have wished for a more talented partner or more patient teacher, and it’s a measure of Dianne’s professionalism and kindness that I was able to get as far as I did.
‘Thanks too to everyone at home who voted for us. It was always going to be a difficult mountain to climb (for one thing it’s made of glitter so it’s very skiddy) and I’ve been especially touched by the support from fellow heart patients.
There’s that smile! The dancer appeared in a cheerier mood as she went out running
Off she goes: The Australian dancer was also seen wearing bright red headphones as she pounded the pavements amid her departure from Strictly
‘I think perhaps I was too eager to impress them. They will know that recovery doesn’t always go in a straight line, and I hope they’re not too disappointed that I ran into the limits of my resilience much sooner than I’d hoped.
‘I leave knowing that Strictly viewers are in very safe hands and I’ll be cheering for my brother and sister contestants all the way to Christmas.
‘Despite this sad ending, it has been a genuine honour to be part of this huge, joyful and barking mad TV show. Long may it continue.’
Bowing out: It comes following Robert’s shock announcement on Wednesday night, in which he admitted he had ‘bitten off more than he could chew’
Regrets: The comedian, 49, announced his decision on Wednesday night, admitting he had ‘bitten off more than he could chew’, having an ongoing heart condition
Robert said of the decision: ‘I’m extremely sorry to have to announce that I’m withdrawing from Strictly Come Dancing due to ill health’
Dianne added: ‘As a massive fan of Robert’s I was delighted to find out that he was joining the Strictly family. On top of this, to find out he was my partner was the icing on the cake.
‘We made a great team, worked hard and had a good laugh along the way. I am so proud of the three amazing dances we produced.
‘I know Robert had a lot more to give to the competition but his health of course comes first and I wish him a speedy recovery. I feel lucky to have danced with him and to call him a friend.’
Dianne added: ‘As a massive fan of Robert’s I was delighted to find out that he was joining the Strictly family. On top of this, to find out he was my partner was the icing on the cake’
Sarah James, Strictly Come Dancing Executive Producer, said: ‘Although we are so sad that Robert has withdrawn from the show we completely understand and support his decision, health always comes first.
‘Despite their Strictly journey coming to an end earlier than anyone would have hoped, Robert and Dianne really made their mark on the competition, with three unforgettable dances choreographed superbly by the brilliant Dianne.
‘They have been a wonderful partnership and we’d like to thank them for the commitment, creativity and joy they brought to the show. Everyone involved in Strictly Come Dancing sends Robert their love and best wishes for his continued recovery.’
He added: ‘I leave knowing that Strictly viewers are in very safe hands and I’ll be cheering for my brother and sister contestants all the way to Christmas’
Strictly Come Dancing will continue this Saturday with 12 couples taking to the Ballroom floor to impress the judges and the voting public.
Robert spoke recently that he was left barely able to walk last year after the emergency surgery for his congenital heart defect.
The Peep Show star learned the condition was made worse from his ten-year battle with alcohol.
Like a duck to water: Diane and Robert impressed as Miss Piggy and Kermit The Frog in one of their dances
Sizzling! The pair had impressed with their dances so far
Speaking to The Sun, Robert told how he saw participating in the BBC series as the latest step on his road to recovery.
He said: ‘When I first came out of hospital I could not walk to the end of the street without help. I couldn’t even lift a kettle for four weeks.
‘So gradually you build up again until you are doing longer and longer walks. Then seven months later the walks turn into runs — and then you become a dancer.
Health: Robert revealed he was left barely able to walk last year after emergency surgery for a congenital heart defect
‘This was not the first time they asked, and I knew there would be a collision between me and Strictly very likely to happen in the future. But it goes back to the heart surgery — now I think I have got something to offer this show.’
Robert explained he had been feeling poorly for quite a while and went for a check up in March of last year just before lockdown only to discover how serious his condition was.
The actor said his condition is a birth defect with one of his heart valves having prolapsed instead of ‘opening and shutting nicely’.
Robert said: ‘When I first came out of hospital I could not walk to the end of the street without help. I couldn’t even lift a kettle for four weeks’ (pictured in 2018)
He said his heart thought he was running up a hill while he was asleep and he never noticed as he simply put his symptoms down to tiredness.
Robert saw a cardiologist who told him he had severe regurgitation and that blood that should have been flowing throughout his body was going ‘backwards’.
The TV star had open heart surgery after the cardiologist said his heart would fail in the next two to three months without it.
Condition: Robert explained he had been feeling poorly for quite a while and went for a check up in March of last year just before lockdown only to discover how serious his condition was (pictured in 2020)
Robert said the surgery motivated him to change his lifestyle, starting with ditching alcohol.
The actor admitted he feels he had been slowly killing himself through drinking and had increased his consumption to the point where he felt he was addicted.
Robert started running and also took up weight-training, meaning he was fitter than ever when he got the call for Strictly.
Still, training with his professional partner Dianne didn’t come easy and he has described rehearsals as a lot of hard work, often working from 8am to 6pm.