Former Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse has revealed she is returning to the hit show for 2025 – but not in the capacity that some were perhaps hoping…
During today’s (16 September) episode of BBC Breakfast, the dancer stopped by to discuss her new novel Slow Burn.
But naturally, with Strictly’s launch show edging closer and closer, hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay couldn’t resist asking the dancer if she was planning on rejoining the Strictly Come Dancing cast.
As it turns out, there is some truth the rumors, as Oti confirmed that she was returning to the show for the third year in a behind-the-scenes role.
Oti Mabuse announces Strictly return
“Everywhere I go people are like: ‘You’re going back!’ I’m like: ‘I’m just changing diapers at the moment,'” she said. “So I’m just choreographing, I’ve done two before, and this will be my third year. I love it. Working with the professionals there, they’re so talented and hard-working.”
Oti, who is mum to a daughter, almost two, with husband Marius Lepure, added: “At that point, it’s much later in the series so there’ll be a few of them with time on their hands. So we’ll work at the beginning of the week and get to Saturday.
“I think it’s going to be a great series, there’s so many ups and downs and it has the potential to be.”
Oti originally joined Strictly as a pro all the way back in 2015. After countless pairings with celebrities, she hit a lucky streak, as she and her celebrity partners, Kelvin Fletcher and Bill Bailey, won in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
The following year, she left the show and appeared as a judge on programmes such as The Greatest Dancer and Dancing On Ice.
Oti relocated back in the spring
Earlier this year, Oti opened up to House Beautiful about how she decided to leave London and relocate to Berkshire because it had “better schools, better environment [and] better hospitals”, she said. “Simple as that.”
She went on to describe how she lived “out on the sticks” in a village near Reading in a “cute” 18th-century home.
“It’s cute,” she added. “And old. Really old.”
“It’s my sanctuary. I love coming home – it’s where I’m most relaxed, most myself and where I make the most memories. It’s also where I’m frustrated because every day there’s something to clean!”
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