Neighbours star, Stefan Dennis, was forced to pull out of the last Strictly Come Dancing show due to illness – now we know his fate.
The Australian actor is paired up with fellow Australian Dianne Buswell, who won the previous year alongside Chris McCausland.
During the Friday episode of It Takes Two, co-host Janette Manrara read a statement that said: ‘Stefan Dennis has been advised by doctors to rest.’
She added: ‘In line with the rule of Strictly, Stefan and Dianne will receive a bye through to next week’.
In the most recent episode of the spin-off show, Dennis and Buswell recorded a special message announcing their next steps.
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In it, they thanked fans for their support and confirmed they were ‘back in the training room’.
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Dennis said: ‘If all goes well, which it will, I’m gonna be back on the floor with the lovely Dianne this Saturday.’
Buswell appeared excited as she announced they would be dancing the Charleston.
‘I can finally get to use my basketball hands,’ joked Dennis.
But some fans aren’t convinced by the video, and are worried for Dennis’ health.
Carla on X wrote: ‘Stefan and Dianne are back on Saturday… bless him, he still looks like he’s recovering.’
@kateebuoni responded: ‘I’m genuinely concerned for his long-term health. He should continue to rest and recover, at most doing something more gentle like the waltz.’
Eliza agreed, writing: ‘I still don’t understand why they couldn’t just do the waltz again to ease him back.’
After the announcement last week, Buswell posted an Instagram story in response to claims that their absence was a cover-up for her being unable to dance due to her pregnancy.
She wrote: ‘Just to clarify I’ve had lots of people messaging me thinking this is a cover up for me not being able to dance?!
‘Firstly, we wouldn’t lie, especially about someone being sick. And secondly, I am fine. Yes I am pregnant, but I’m also very capable and feeling good!
‘Thirdly, there are things in place if any pros were to get sick or injured.’
How are the Strictly contestants scoring?
Here’s a round-up of the stars’ scores from the first three weeks combined:
- Lewis Cope and Katya Jones – 92
- Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin – 91
- George Clarke and Alexis Warr – 85
- Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe – 82
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Lauren Oakley – 80
- Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Karen Hauer – 77
- Karen Carney and Carlos Gu – 76
- Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon – 73
- Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington – 72
- La Voix and Aljaž Škorjanec – 71
- Ellie Goldstein and Vito Coppola – 67
- Chris Robshaw and Nadiya Bychkova – 52
- Ross King and Jowita Przystał – 44 (Ross King was the second star to be eliminated)
- Stefan Dennis and Dianne Buswell – 39 (Stefan missed week three due to illness)
- Thomas Skinner and Amy Dowden – 29 (Thomas was the first star to be eliminated)
Buswell is the first contestant to perform on the show while pregnant.
She received trolling after announcing she’d still be on the series, with somebody saying they thought her involvement was ‘no appropriate’.
The dancer hit back, writing on Instagram: ‘I can’t believe in 2025 things like this are still being said.’
Strictly Come Dancing returns this Saturday evening on BBC One.
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