Strictly's Oti Mabuse makes surprise Strictly return just days before 'I'm A Celeb stint'
Professional dancer Oti Mabuse has made a surprise return to Strictly Come Dancing three years after she left the series. Oti, who is the sister of Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse, was a pro dancer on the show between 2015 and 2021, when she left to pursue other TV roles. She is now best known for Dancing On Ice, where she appears as a judge on the series alongside Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill, and Ashley Banjo.
Oti returned to Strictly on Tuesday 5 November, appearing on the spin off show It Takes Two as a guest host. During the show she passed judgement on last weekend’s dances, commenting on what some of the celebrity dancers needed to improve upon as well as the best performances from Saturday night’s show.
The 34 year old mum of one from South Africa is the only professional dancer on Strictly to have won the show on two consecutive occasions - in 2019 when she was paired with former Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, and in 2020 when she danced with comedian Bill Bailey.
READ MORE:Pregnant Charlotte Dawson tells fans to 'unfollow' her as she shares growing baby bump clip
READ MORE:Kristin Scott Thomas confirms secret wedding and shares details including touching family gift
She revealed in October that dancing on the series had taken a toll on her personal life. During a heartfelt conversation on Paul Carrick Brunson's We Need To Talk podcast, Oti referred to the show as "a lifestyle choice" rather than just a television programme. She divulged, "It is all you think about 24/7," adding, "It's all you do. You're on tour, you're doing other Strictly-associated shows. You're not really 100% in the marriage, because this is gold. The trophy is handmade, by the way, and you're fixated on it."
Sign up to OK!'s TV newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
She also said that she failed to maintain communication with her loved ones during her early years on Strictly. "I didn't communicate with my friends, I didn't communicate with my family, I didn't communicate with my husband. It was just this one goal that I wanted to achieve so, so, so, so, so much."
Oti is married to Marius Lapure, a professional dancer who is now a director, choreographer, judge and dance coach. The couple welcomed a baby daughter in December last year, and shared the news with her followers on Christmas Day, posting a photo along with the words: "Merry Christmas. Wishing you all a wonderful festive season and special memories with loved ones."
More recently, she is reported to be one of the celebrities heading to the jungle for this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, alongside stars including Coleen Rooney, Coronation Street ’s Alan Halsall, singer Tulisa, Love Island’s Maura Higgins and boxing star Barry McGuigan.
