Oti Mabuse says her daughter is ‘the reason I do everything’

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse has said her daughter is “the reason I do everything”, adding that she aims to be “a good role model”.

The 35-year-old dancer and her husband Marius Lepure had their first child in November 2023, after previously revealing they had experienced difficulties conceiving.

In an interview with The Mirror, Mabuse spoke about how becoming a mother has changed her, and reflected on leaving her infant daughter to participate in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

The South African dancer said that since having her daughter “a lot” has changed, adding: “She’s the reason I do everything. I want to be a good role model.

“I want to make sure her relationships with women, and men, are strong, and I hope when she’s older she can come to me about literally anything.”

She continued: “She’s such a daddy’s girl, though. But I love that she is.

“If Marius isn’t around, she can do it all. When he’s there, she pulls this little knowing face – to me – and asks him to do everything for her. She’s so funny.”

When her daughter was almost a year old Mabuse flew to Australia to participate in I’m A Celebrity.

She became a fan favourite on the ITV reality show and made it to the final, coming fourth.

Asked if it was hard to leave her daughter behind, Mabuse told The Mirror: “It was, but she doesn’t remember.

“I wouldn’t leave her now, at two. I go to work and she’s crying for me.

“Back then, I was under the impression I could do it all, but you can’t, you burn out. I was so tired and the jungle gave me a total reset.”

She added: “I didn’t do much for the first week except sleep. All the other celebs were lovely. They were like, ‘she’s a new mum, let her rest’.”

Mabuse was a Strictly Come Dancing professional before she left the show in 2022, and won the celebrity dance show twice during her seven-year tenure.

She then had a three-year stint as a judge on ITV’s Dancing On Ice, and is currently head judge on RTE’s Dancing With The Stars Ireland.

Mabuse told The Mirror that when she heads to Dublin for the weekend to film the Irish dancing competition she enjoys having time to herself and said: “The weekend is mine.

“I love being a mum, but it’s so nice.

“I love working on the show as I’ve watched people dance, then I get back to the hotel and have a bath and a wine and it’s heaven, I’m telling you.”