Who is Oti Mabuse? Age, husband, daughter, dance partners & more

17 November 2024, 21:00

Oti Mabuse joins the cast of I'm A Celeb 2024. Picture: ITV/Getty

By Tiasha Debray

As Oti Mabuse joins I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, here's everything you need to know about her. From age, husband and Strictly dance partners to where she’s from and her relationship to Motsi Mabuse.

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Professional dancer Oti Mabuse has been announced in 2024's celebrity lineup for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and fans of hers couldn’t be happier.

Oti will be joining the likes of GK Barry, McFly's Danny Jones, Corrie’s Alan Halsall and Coleen Rooney who are all about to dive in head first to face the nightmares of the Australian jungle. With Love Island’s Maura Higgins also rumoured to be entering the show down the line, this year's season of I’m A Celeb has certainly got our attention.

The first episode of the new season has reportedly undertaken some big changes, but fans can feel secure seeing Oti’s familiar face on their screens.

So let’s brush up on our knowledge of her. Who is Oti Mabuse? From her age, husband, job and where she’s from to her Strictly dance partners and relationship to Motsi.

Read more: What Days Is I'm A Celebrity On And What Time?

Oti Mabuse turned 34 in 2024. Picture: ITV

How old is Oti Mabuse?

Oti was born on 8th August, 1990 which means she turned 34 years old in 2024.

Her star sign is Leo and common traits associated with Leos include being confident, natural leadership, loyalty and generosity.

Where is Oti Mabuse from? Is she South African?

Oti was born in Pretoria, South Africa and surprisingly studied civil engineering at Tshwane University of Technology before realising that that wasn’t the career path for her.

She began dancing at four years old and after pursuing the art form, her talent earned her the title of South African Latin American Champion eight times. She also represented South Africa at the 2010 World Championships.

Oti and Motsi Mabuse are sisters. Picture: Getty

What is the relationship between Oti and Motsi Mabuse? How are they related?

Oti and Motsi Mabuse are biological sisters and both pursued professional ballroom dancing for their careers.

Motsi is older than Oti and she began dancing at just six years old reaching a competitive level by 11.

Both sisters moved to Germany to pursue their dancing career and ultimately ended up on UK’s Strictly Come Dancing. Oti performed as one of the professional dancers from 2015 to 2022, and Motsi has been a judge on the show since 2019.

Oti Mabuse returned as a Strictly choreographer in 2024. Picture: Getty

What does Oti Mabuse do now?

Oti is still a strong media personality on British television and since leaving Strictly has appeared on shows such as DNA Journey, The Masked Dancer, Big Brother: Late & Live, Celebrity Big Brother: Late & Live, The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer and of course the upcoming season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

Oti has also worked as a judge on Dancing on Ice since 2022 and she returned to Strictly Come Dancing in 2024 as a choreographer.

I’m A Celebrity 2024 - Meet Oti

Why did Oti Mabuse leave Strictly?

Oti left Strictly Come Dancing in February of 2022 after she revealed she was leaving to pursue other projects.

Speaking to the Independant, the dancer said: “I came from the biggest show on television. Every single human being on this planet, in this country, loves Strictly. People are obsessed.

“When you come from there, you are with that group, then when you decide you’re going to leave it’s like: ‘What? What do you mean?’

"I was met with a lot of: ‘Why would you leave? You’re happy, you’re at the top of your professional game, you professional game, you won the show?”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oti Mabuse (@otimabuse)

Oti revealed the excitement she felt at the idea of new projects “put the fire in my belly”.

The beloved dancer posted on her Instagram at the time, writing: “Never easy to say goodbye. I have been part of the most amazing TV show, Strictly Come Dancing for the past seven years and it has been an incredible time.

"Lifting the glitter ball twice and having the best journey with all my celebrities, but also meeting and working with the best team, crew, producers, celebs and incredible professional dancers! You are my family and I adore you all forever."

Oti left Strictly in 2022. Picture: Getty

Who have Oti Mabuse’s Strictly partners been?

Since becoming one of Strictly's professional dancers in 2015, Oti has had 7 partners. She's won the competition twice – with back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2020 with Kelvin Fletcher and Bill Bailey. In 2016, she also placed second with Danny Mac.

2015: Anthony Ogogo (placed 14th)
2016: Danny Mac (placed 2nd)
2017: Jonnie Peacock (placed 8th)
2018: Graeme Swann (placed 5th)
2019: Kelvin Fletcher (placed 1st)
2020: Bill Bailey (placed 1st)
2021: Ugo Monye (placed 11th)

Oti and Marius met in Germany as she trialled new dance partners. Picture: Getty

Who is Oti Mabuse’s husband?

Oti is married to Romanian professional dancer Marius Lepure who is 41 years old. The pair met through Oti’s sister Motsi after they moved to Germany in 2012 and Oti was in search of a dance partner to compete with.

Oti and Marius not only competed together, but they also won gold at the German National Show Dance Championships and they fell in love along the way.

By 2014, Marius knew she was the one and asked Oti to marry him and by the end of that very year, the pair wed.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oti Mabuse (@otimabuse)

How many children does Oti Mabuse have?

Oti has just one daughter who was born 28 weeks premature on Christmas day in 2023 with an infection and had to spend six weeks in intensive care, an experience that left Oti and Marius traumatised.

"Once I gave birth to her it became more traumatic, I had sepsis and I didn’t know. I had all these things, I had the diabetes, I had pelvic pain so turning and getting up and walking was very painful," she said during an interview on Loose Women.

"Then I found out that I had sepsis. It was one thing over the other. We spent 10 minutes together and she was taken away with my husband and the doctors.

"She was in the incubator and that was the first time we actually saw her. She was covered up and she had all these machines and wires and everything covering her face... This premature world only comes to light when you’re going through it... It was a really, really scary time."

Oti Mabuse has one daughter. Picture: Instagram: @otimabuse

Oti has yet to reveal her daughter's name to the public, seemingly keeping that part of her life private, however, she's defended her choice to leave her young daughter at home to enter the jungle.

"I think it's nice for her to see mum is fully committed and loves her so much but also wants to do what she wants to do, she told the Daily Mail. "Mum has goals as well, and I think it's something as mums, we can all kind of be proud of, that we can be these incredible human beings as well as accomplish our goals or do things that are fun for us.

"And when she grows up, she'll Google me, and she'll probably see it and be like, 'Yeah, my mum did that'.

"I'll probably never do it again. I'll never get another opportunity to do it again. I'd love to grow my family. I'd like to do other things. And so this was the year for me to do it, and it just felt right."