Otlile Mabuse: Her Story, Career, and Life After Strictly

You probably know her as the dancer who lifted two different partners to Strictly Come Dancing glory, or as the judge who swapped ballroom for ice skates. Oti Mabuse has built a career that crosses more TV dance formats than almost anyone in British entertainment — and she’s far from finished, as this update on her post-Strictly life shows.

Full name: Otlile ‘Oti’ Mabuse ·
Date of birth: 8 August 1990 ·
Age: 34 (as of 2025) ·
Nationality: South African ·
Profession: Professional dancer, TV judge, presenter, author ·
Known for: Strictly Come Dancing (professional), Dancing on Ice (judge)

Seven key facts about Oti Mabuse, from her early life to her current projects.

What has happened to Oti Mabuse?

Oti Mabuse’s post-Strictly career

• After leaving Strictly in 2021, Mabuse moved into judging on Dancing on Ice from 2022 (Wikipedia).
• She served as a panellist on The Masked Dancer (2021–2022) (Wikipedia).
• In 2023 she opened the Oti & Marius Dance Studio in London with her husband (WalesOnline (Welsh news outlet)).

The implication: Mabuse has successfully pivoted from competitor to critic, building a portfolio of roles across Britain’s biggest dance entertainment shows.

Recent TV roles and judging

• Mabuse joined the judging panel of Dancing with the Stars Ireland in 2026 (Wikipedia).
• She appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show in February 2025, discussing motherhood and Strictly (YouTube).
• Her Dancing on Ice judging role ended in 2025, opening the door for new opportunities (Wikipedia).

What this means: Mabuse’s career is becoming truly transnational — she now works across British, Irish and German dance formats.

Why did Oti Mabuse leave Strictly?

Official reasons for departure

• Mabuse said she wanted “to explore other parts of me” after seven series as a professional (WalesOnline).
• No falling out with the BBC was reported (Wikipedia).
• She wanted to spend more time with family and focus on presenting and judging (Wikipedia).

The trade-off: leaving a guaranteed prime-time slot for a more varied but less stable set of roles.

Transition to other opportunities

• She immediately landed a judging role on Dancing on Ice, proving her brand remained strong (Wikipedia).
• In 2024 she published her memoir Slow Burn (Facebook (British and Irish TV and film page)).
• She also launched a dancewear line and continues to guest on talk shows (YouTube).

The pattern: Mabuse has shifted from being a performer to a multi-platform personality, mirroring the path of other Strictly pros who have moved into production and lifestyle ventures.

What is Oti Mabuse ethnicity?

Her South African roots

• Oti Mabuse was born in Pretoria, South Africa (Wikipedia).
• She is of Tswana heritage (Wikipedia).
• Her father was a lawyer, her mother a teacher (Wikipedia).

Why this matters: Her cultural background is often discussed by fans curious about her journey from South Africa to British TV stardom.

Cultural background

• She started dancing at age 4 and became South African Latin dance champion as a child (Wikipedia).
• She moved to Germany for her competitive dance career before joining British TV (Wikipedia).
• Her ethnicity has never been a barrier; she has spoken about being proud of her roots (The Sun).

The catch: While her heritage is often highlighted, Mabuse rarely discusses it in depth in interviews, preferring to focus on her work.

Are Oti and Motsi Mabuse twins?

Age difference

• Oti and Motsi Mabuse are sisters, not twins (Wikipedia).
• Motsi is older by several years (born 1981) (Wikipedia).
• Both are professional dancers and TV judges (Wikipedia).

The straightforward answer: no, they aren’t twins — but the confusion is understandable given their similar career arcs.

Career similarities

• Motsi judges on Let’s Dance (Germany) and was also a professional dancer on the show (Wikipedia).
• Oti has followed a parallel path in the UK and Ireland (Wikipedia).
• Both have competed in Latin dance championships (Wikipedia).

The implication: the Mabuse sisters are the most powerful sibling duo in European dance television, each dominating a different market.

Where does Oti Mabuse live?

Current residence in the UK

• Oti Mabuse lives in London, England with her husband Marius Iepure (Wikipedia).
• She has not moved to Ireland, despite speculation after joining Dancing with the Stars Ireland (WalesOnline).
• Her dance studio is based in London (Facebook).

What this means: London remains her base, allowing her to easily commute to filming in the UK and Ireland.

Previous homes

• She previously lived in Germany during her competitive dance career (Wikipedia).
• Before London, she lived in other UK cities while dancing on Strictly (Wikipedia).
• She grew up in Pretoria, South Africa (Wikipedia).

The pattern: each move has been driven by a new dance opportunity — from South Africa to Germany, then to the UK.

“I wanted to explore other parts of me.” – Oti Mabuse on leaving Strictly (WalesOnline)

Mabuse has also said that dance “has been my life since I was four” and that it is “the one thing that never felt like work” (Facebook).

For UK television executives looking to fill judging panels, the lesson is clear: Mabuse has the crossover appeal to attract both ballroom fans and new viewers. Her next move — whether back to Strictly in a choreographer role or further expansion into Irish television — will define the next phase of her career.

Fans of Otlile Mabuse may also be interested in her sister Motsi Mabuses weight loss journey, which explores natural methods for menopause.

Frequently asked questions