Bobby Brazier has gushed his love for Strictly Come Dancing partner Dianne Buswell, hailing the Australian pro dancer as his "Juliet" in a romantic tribute.
The EastEnders star has been tipped as a favourite to win the competition, having continuously wowed the judges with his impressive footwork on the glitzy BBC show. He and Dianne earned a respectable 30 points last week for their Tango routine, after reaching their highest score yet of 32 with the Samba in Week 3.
Bobby, who split from girlfriend Liberty Love in September, has now hailed his Strictly mentor as he admits he's entirely focused on her. Addressed the influx of adoring messages he's received since joining the show, the 20-year-old insisted he's not letting the flattery distract him from rehearsals.
"I’ll pay attention to a few of them! But my eyes are focused on my Juliet, Dianne," he told the Sun. "He is unbelievable and performing every Saturday with her is so much fun." Bobby, who lost his mother Jade Goody to cervical cancer when he was a child, also said that he "appreciates all the compliments" and acknowledged he's in a "fortunate position."
Dianne, who has been in a relationship with YouTube star Joe Sugg since 2018, has also said that Bobby became particularly popular on social media after melting hearts everywhere with his Movie Week routine. The soap star flexed his acting skills for his Romeo and Juliet performance to the Samba, which saw him recreate the iconic 'fish tank' scene in Baz Luhrmann's 1997 film adaptation of the Shakespearean play. “Bobby has so many people sliding into his DMs now," she cheekily revealed.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likenessBobby addressed the phenomenon of the Strictly curse ahead of his first show, insisting he has no plans to be involved in any romance drama.
"I know everybody who has a relationship there - they're in love. I don't have any intention to be a homewrecker at all!" he insisted. "I'm looking for a big sister and a lovely relationship."
For Strictly's highly-anticipated Halloween Week this Saturday, Bobby and Diane will perform the Cha Cha Cha to Come On A My House by Della Reese. The spooky routine comes shortly after the Aussie dancer confessed she initially had concerns being matched with Bobby, telling It Takes Two host Janette Manrara that she worried about his lack of experience and their height difference.
"I'm so proud of him. I must admit, when I first saw him, I thought oh this might be tough," she explained. He's got a lot of limb! You're so tall and you've never danced before, so I thought this could be harder than I think. But he's just got such a great little brain on him that he just absorbs everything I tell him."