Oti Mabuse makes return to Strictly Come Dancing ahead of 'I'm A Celeb appearance'

Professional dancer Oti Mabuse has made an unexpected return to Strictly Come Dancing, three years after her departure from the series.

Oti, sister of Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse, was a pro dancer on the show from 2015 to 2021 before leaving to explore other television opportunities.

She is now most recognised for her role as a judge on Dancing On Ice, alongside Christopher Dean, Jayne Torvill, and Ashley Banjo.

Oti made her comeback to Strictly on Tuesday, 5 November, featuring on the spin-off show It Takes Two as a guest host. During the programme, she offered her critique on the previous weekend's dances, highlighting areas for improvement for some celebrity dancers and praising the best performances from Saturday night's show.

The 34-year-old mother of one from South Africa holds the unique distinction of being the only professional dancer on Strictly to have won the show in two consecutive years - in 2019 when she was paired with former Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, and in 2020 when she danced with comedian Bill Bailey.

In a candid revelation back in October, Oti Mabuse described the challenging impact of her participation in Strictly Come Dancing on her private life. During an emotional segment on Paul Carrick Brunson's 'We Need To Talk' podcast, she referred to the competitive dancing stint as "a lifestyle choice" and not merely a TV show, reports OK!.

She shared: "It is all you think about 24/7. 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."

For Oti, the early years of gracing the Strictly dance floor meant losing touch with those closest to her. She admitted: "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, who is happily married to Marius Lapure a professional dancer turned director, choreographer, judge, and dance coach recently embraced motherhood. The couple celebrated the arrival of their baby daughter in December last year.

Oti excitedly shared the heartwarming update with her social media followers on Christmas Day, posting an adorable photograph alongside the festive caption: "Merry Christmas. Wishing you all a wonderful festive season and special memories with loved ones."

Recently, she is rumoured to be joining the line-up for this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, alongside celebrities such as Coleen Rooney, Coronation Street's Alan Halsall, singer Tulisa, Love Island's Maura Higgins and boxing legend Barry McGuigan.

Strictly's It Takes Two airs weekdays at 6:30pm on BBC Two