Dianne Buswell has responded to people who have criticised her dancing while pregnant (Image: ITV)

Strictly Come Dancing star Dianne Buswell has responded to online trolls who have questioned her decision to continue dancing on the long running BBC Saturday night flagship show, having announced her pregnancy with partner Joe Suggs in September. The 36-year-old star is partnered with Neighbours icon Stefan Dennis, 66, who famously played Paul Robinson in the soap, and has continued to perform as usual on the show while expecting her baby boy.

Chatting exclusively to Express.co.uk following a rehearsal for their week four dance, she was pragmatic about the criticism but adamant she is doing what works for her saying: “I don’t see any issues my side”. “I mean, to be honest, I’m just doing my job, and I feel really good,” she said. “Obviously you do have to listen to your body, and I have been doing that. But I don’t feel any different to say, this time last year, when I was doing the same job,” she said.

“I guess there it (being pregnant) does come with people either saying ‘this is amazing’, or ‘she shouldn’t be doing that’. ‘It’s not fair that she’s in the show’, blah, blah, blah.

“But it’s like that with anything, isn’t it? There’s going to be people who like something and don’t like something – different opinions.

And part and parcel of this whole Strictly malarkey is that people will have opinions. So I guess it just comes down to how I feel.

“We’re doing great together, and I’m still more than capable to do my job to the best of my ability. So I don’t see any issues my side,” she insisted.

Dianne Buswell is paired with Stefan Dennis on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing (Image: BBC)

Dianne is the defending champion this year having lifted the glitterball with comedian Chris McCausland in last year’s competition but she says that hasn’t affected her approach to this year’s show at all.

“I don’t think you can ever see it like that, because every year is so different. Last year was its own identity. This year is its own identity, and so on, so forth.

“You can’t put pressure on yourself. You just have to do what you can with what you are given and do the best you can and with your partner that that’s it.

“There’s no added pressure. I mean, yeah, it was a bonus that I won last year, but I haven’t treated this any differently this year than I would any other year.”