Oti Mabuse

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Oti Mabuse
Born
Oti Mabuse [1]

(1990-08-08) 8 August 1990 (age 31)
Pretoria, South Africa[2]
NationalitySouth African
EducationTshwane University of Technology
OccupationBallroom dancer
Height5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Spouse(s)
Marius Iepure
​
(m. 2014)​
Partner(s)Keoikantse Motsepe[3]
(2000–2013)[4]
RelativesMotsi Mabuse (sister)[5]

Otlile "Oti" Mabuse (born 8 August 1990) is a South African dancer and Latin American champion currently based in the United Kingdom.[6] She is best known as a professional dancer on the British television series, Strictly Come Dancing, and its German equivalent, Let's Dance.[7] She was a Dance Captain on The Greatest Dancer and since 2021, she has been a panellist on The Masked Dancer.[8]

Early life and education[]

Mabuse was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and studied civil engineering at university[9] before embarking on a career in professional ballroom dancing. Her elder sister, Motsi Mabuse, is also a professional ballroom dancer. Motsi has participated in the German series Let's Dance both as a professional dancer and as a judge, and as a professional dancer in Britain's Strictly Come Dancing.

Dancing career[]

Mabuse won the South African Latin American Championship eight times, after which she moved to Germany to broaden her dancing horizons. She has earned a number of titles in her dancing career; including:[2]

  • third place in World Cup Freestyle Latin in 2014,
  • second place European Championship Latin in 2014 and
  • first place in German Championship PD Freestyle Latin.

Let's Dance[]

In 2015, Mabuse appeared as a professional dancer on the eighth season of Let's Dance, the German version of Strictly Come Dancing.

She was partnered with singer Daniel Küblböck. The couple were eliminated in week 9, finishing in sixth place.

In 2016, Mabuse returned as a professional dancer for the ninth season of Let's Dance. She was partnered with television presenter Niels Ruf. The couple were the first to be eliminated in week 2, leaving in 14th place.

Season 8: with celebrity partner Daniel Küblböck[]

Week No. Dance/Song Judges' score Total Result
González M Mabuse Llambi
1 Quickstep / "You're The One That I Want" 6 6 3 15 Safe
2 Rumba / "Mad World" 6 6 4 16 Safe
3 Contemporary / "Jeanny" 6 8 6 20 Safe
4 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Tragedy" 5 5 2 12 Safe
5 Waltz / "Yesterday" 6 6 2 14 Bottom two
6 Hip-Hop / "Sing" 7 7 5 19 Safe
7 Jazz & Paso Doble / "Born This Way" 8 7 4 19 Bottom two
8 Samba / "Livin' la Vida Loca"
Disco Marathon / "Ich will immer weider...dieses Fiber spür'n" 		7
Awarded 		7
10 		5
points 		19
29 		Safe
9 Tango / "When Doves Cry"
Rock n' Roll / "Surfin' U.S.A." 		6
6 		6
7 		2
4 		14
17 		Eliminated

Season 9: with celebrity partner Niels Ruf[]

Week No. Dance/Song Judges' score Total Result
González Mabuse Llambi
1 Viennese Waltz / "Where the Wild Roses Grow" 3 3 2 8 Bottom three
2 Jive / "Bad Boy" 2 3 1 6 Eliminated

Strictly Come Dancing[]

Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance

In 2015, Mabuse appeared as a professional on the 13th series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo. The couple were eliminated in Week 3, finishing in 14th place. That year, she also participated in the Children in Need and Christmas specials of the show, in which she partnered with actors Jack Ashton and Tom Chambers respectively.

In 2016, Mabuse was partnered with former Hollyoaks actor Danny Mac for the show's 14th series. The couple reached the final and finished as runners-up. For the show's 15th series in 2017, she was partnered with Paralympic sprinter Jonnie Peacock, they were eliminated in Week 9 in 8th place. She was paired with England cricketer Graeme Swann for the show's 16th series, they were eliminated in Week 10 in 7th place.

In 2019, for her fifth stint on the show, she was partnered with former Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, who replaced her originally announced partner, Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing, who had to withdraw from the show after sustaining a foot injury when dancing on the launch show. They went on to become the winners of the series. Laing was confirmed as a contestant for the eighteenth series the following year, but was re-partnered with fellow professional Karen Hauer, in which Mabuse was partnered with comedian and actor, Bill Bailey, reaching the final and became series winners, with Mabuse becoming the second pro to win the show twice (the other being Aliona Vilani who won series 9 and series 13) and the only pro to win twice in succession.

On 18 April 2021, two weeks after being unveiled as part of nineteenth series of the show, Mabuse revealed that this would most likely be her last.[10]

Series Partner Place Average
Score
13 Anthony Ogogo 14th 19.7
14 Danny Mac 2nd 36.6
15 Jonnie Peacock 8th 25.8
16 Graeme Swann 7th 26.0
17 Kelvin Fletcher 1st 36.4
18 Bill Bailey 33.4

Series 13: with celebrity partner Anthony Ogogo[]

Week No. Dance/Song Judges' score Total Result
Craig Revel
Horwood 		Darcey
Bussell 		Len
Goodman 		Bruno
Tonioli
1 Jive / "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" 4 5 6 6 21 No Elimination
2 Waltz / "If You Don't Know Me by Now" 4 5 5 5 19 Safe
3 Paso Doble / "Eye of the Tiger" 4 6 5 4 19 Eliminated

Series 14: with celebrity partner Danny Mac[]

Week No. Dance/Song Judges' score Total Result
Craig Revel
Horwood 		Darcey
Bussell 		Len
Goodman 		Bruno
Tonioli
1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Cake by the Ocean" 8 8 7 8 31 No Elimination
2 Viennese Waltz / "Never Tear Us Apart" 8 8 8 8 32 Safe
3 Paso Doble / "El Sambrero Blanco" 9 9 9 9 36 Safe
4 Quickstep / "I Won't Dance" 9 9 9 9 36 Safe
5 Rumba / "How Will I Know" 8 9 9 9 35 Safe
6 Foxtrot / "Take Me to Church" 7 8 7 8 30 Safe
7 Jive / "Long Tall Sally" 9 10 9 10 38 Safe
8 Argentine Tango / "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" 9 9 10 10 38 Safe
9 Charleston / "Puttin' On the Ritz" 10 10 10 10 40 Safe
10 Samba / "Magalenha"
Cha-cha-cha Challenge / "I Like It Like That" 		10
Awarded 		10
5 		10
extra 		10
points 		40
45 		Safe
11 Tango / "One Night Only" 9 10 9 10 38 Safe
12 Salsa / "Vivir Mi Vida
American Smooth / "Misty Blue" 		9
10 		9
9 		9
10 		10
10 		37
39 		Bottom two
13 Quickstep / "I Won't Dance"
Showdance / "Set Fire to the Rain"
Samba / "Magalenha" 		9
10
10 		9
10
10 		9
10
10 		9
10
10 		36
40
40 		Runner-up

Series 15: with celebrity partner Jonnie Peacock[]

Week No. Dance/Song Judges' score Total Result
Revel Horwood Bussell Ballas Tonioli
1 Waltz / "When I Need You" 4 5 5 6 20 No Elimination
2 Jive / "Johnny B. Goode" 6 7 8 8 29 Safe
3 Paso Doble / "The Raider's March" 6 6 7 7 26 Safe
4 American Smooth / "Cry Me a River" 7 8 8 8 31 Safe
5 Quickstep / "Part-Time Lover" 7 8 9 –# 24 Safe
6 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Troublemaker" 4 6 5 5 20 Safe
7 Salsa / "Turn Me On" 6 7 7 7 27 Safe
8 Foxtrot / "Someone like You" 4 5 6 6 21 Bottom two
9 Tango / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" 6 7 6 7 26 Eliminated

# Bruno Tonioli was absent and there was no guest judge.

Series 16: with celebrity partner Graeme Swann[]

Week No. Dance/Song Judges' score Total Result
Craig Revel
Horwood 		Darcey
Bussell 		Shirley
Ballas 		Bruno
Tonioli
1 Samba / "Soul Limbo" 5 6 6 5 22 No Elimination
2 American Smooth / "Try a Little Tenderness" 3 5 3 4 15 Safe
3 Charleston / "Spider-Man" 7 8 8 8 31 Safe
4 Jive / "Don't Stop Me Now" 5 7 7 7 26 Safe
5 Tango / "Roxanne" 6 7 8 8# 29 Safe
6 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Thriller" 4 5 6 6 21 Bottom two
7 Waltz / "The Last Waltz" 6 7 8 8 29 Safe
8 Salsa / "Follow the Leader" 7 8 8 8 31 Bottom two
9 Jazz / "The Trolley Song" 7 8 8 9 32 Bottom two
10 Quickstep / Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)"
Lindy Hop-a-thon / "Do Your Thing" 		6
Awarded 		6
2 		6
Extra 		6
Points 		24
26 		Eliminated

# Bruno Tonioli was absent; Alfonso Ribeiro was guest judge.

Series 17: with celebrity partner Kelvin Fletcher[]

Mabuse was originally paired with Jamie Laing, however he had to pull out due to a foot injury whilst the recording of the launch show. Laing was replaced with Kelvin Fletcher, just before the start of the live shows.

Week No. Dance/Song Judges' score Total Result
Craig Revel
Horwood 		Motsi
Mabuse 		Shirley
Ballas 		Bruno
Tonioli
1 Samba / "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" 8 8 8 8 32 No Elimination
2 Waltz / "What the World Needs Now is Love" 7 7 7 7 28 Safe
3 Charleston / "Trip a Little Light Fantastic" 9 9 10 10 38 Safe
4 Rumba / "Ain't No Sunshine" 9 9 9 9 36 Safe
5 Cha-Cha-Cha / "Get Stupid" 8 8 8 9# 33 Safe
6 Tango / "Bad Guy" 9 9 9 9 36 Safe
7 Viennese Waltz / "Say Something" 8 9 8 9 34 Safe
8 Salsa / "Let's Hear It for the Boy" 8 9 9 9 35 Safe
9 Jive / "Jailhouse Rock" 9 10 10 10 39 Safe
10 Street / "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" 8 10 10 10 38 Safe
11 American Smooth / "Gaston" 9 10 10 10 39 Safe
12 Quickstep / "The Lady Is a Tramp"
Paso Doble / "Seven Nation Army" 		10
9 		10
10 		10
9 		10
9 		40
37 		Safe
13 Rumba / "Ain't No Sunshine"
Showdance / "Shout"
Samba / "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" 		9
10
9 		10
10
10 		10
10
10 		10
10
10 		39
40
39 		Winners

# Bruno Tonioli was absent; Alfonso Ribeiro was guest judge.

Series 18: with celebrity partner Bill Bailey[]

Week No. Dance/Song Judges' score Total Result
Revel Horwood Ballas Mabuse
1 Cha Cha Cha / "Pata Pata" 3 6 6 15 No Elimination
2 Quickstep / "Talk to the Animals" 8 8 8 24 Safe
3 Paso Doble / "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" 8 9 9 26 Safe
4 Street / "Rapper's Delight" 8 10 9# 27 Safe
5 American Smooth / "I've Got You Under My Skin" 8 9 8# 25 Safe
6 Jive / "One Way or Another" 8 8 8 24 Safe
7 Argentine Tango / "The Phantom of the Opera" 8 8 8 24 Safe
8 Charleston / "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey"
Tango / "Enter Sandman" 		8
8 		8
7 		9
8 		25
23 		Safe
9 Quickstep / "Talk to the Animals"
Showdance / "The Show Must Go On"
Street / "Rapper's Delight" 		9
10
9 		10
10
10 		10
10
10 		29
30
29 		Winners

# Motsi Mabuse was absent; Anton du Beke was guest judge.

Dance tours and other professional engagements[]

Mabuse took part in the national Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour in 2017 with her celebrity partner Danny Mac. They were voted the winners of more individual shows than any other couple by the audience.[citation needed]

In August 2017, Mabuse and Ian Waite announced a 60-date 2018 UK tour An Audience With.[11][12] She was a contestant on an episode of Tipping Point: Lucky Stars in 2017.

In October 2018, Mabuse announced she would be teaching at Donahey's Dancing with The Stars Weekends in 2019.[13]

In 2019, Mabuse became a dance captain on The Greatest Dancer, alongside Cheryl, Matthew Morrison and later Todrick Hall.

In 2019, Mabuse was a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef 2019.

In 2020, Mabuse will be the new host of Boogie Beebies.[14]

In 2020, Mabuse was a contestant on the Christmas Special of Michael McIntyre's The Wheel.

On 4 March 2021, it was announced that Mabuse would be a panelist on a brand new ITV show, The Masked Dancer UK, a spin off of The Masked Singer UK, replacing Rita Ora's position in the original show.[8]

Mabuse worked as the choreographer of the UK and Ireland production of The Cher Show, which will tour the country from April 2022 until April 2023.[15]

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2015-2016 Let's Dance Herself Professional Dancer (Seasons 8-9)
2015- Strictly Come Dancing Professional Dancer (Series 13-)
2019-2020 The Greatest Dancer Judge
2019-2021 Lorraine 7 episodes
2019-2020 This Morning 4 episodes
2019 Celebrity MasterChef Contestant
2020 Boogie Beebies Host (Series 3)
2020-2021 Morning Live Presenter (10 episodes)
2020 Michael McIntyre's The Wheel Contestant (Christmas Special)
2021 Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 3 episodes
2021 The Masked Dancer UK Panelist [8]

Personal life[]

In 2014, Mabuse married Romanian dancer Marius Iepure, whom she met in Germany.[16] They currently live in London after moving there from Germany in 2015.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Otile Mabuse : Client Portfolios : Olivia Belle". Olivia Belle Management. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "BBC One - Strictly Come Dancing - Oti Mabuse". BBC. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Keoikantse Motsepe (South Africa) & Otile Mabuse (South Africa)". DancesportInfo. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Marius Iepure (Germany) & Otile Mabuse (South Africa)". DancesportInfo. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Oti Mabuse and her sisters (Instagram)". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Winship, Lyndsey (March 12, 2019). "Strictly's Oti Mabuse: 'I still wear £5 leggings – I work for the BBC!'". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  7. ^ "Who is Oti Mabuse? Strictly Come Dancing 2016 professional dancers guide". Radio Times. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c "ITV commissions The Masked Dancer". Press Centre. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  9. ^ "Dream Comes True as BBC Welcomes "Hot" South African Dancer to 'Strictly' Show". SAPeople.com. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  10. ^ Lawler, Danielle (19 April 2021). "Who Oti Mabuse: 'The next Strictly will be my last'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  11. ^ "An Audience with website". Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Broadway World". 4 August 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  13. ^ "5* Weekend Break with the Stars of BBC Strictly Come Dancing". www.donaheys.co.uk.
  14. ^ "Dance lessons with Oti Mabuse lead new BBC children's shows". 28 April 2020.
  15. ^ "The Cher Show to tour UK & Ireland".
  16. ^ "Oti Mabuse husband: When did Strictly star get married?". Express. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-07.

Further reading[]

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