BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Motsi Mabuse opens up on 'terrifying' racial abuse

Daily Record

9 hours ago

Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse has candidly opened up on her horrifying experiences of racial abuse
Strictly Come Dancing star Motsi Mabuse has candidly opened up on her horrifying experiences of racial abuse during her younger years in South Africa. Ahead of the BBC dance series returning next month, the judge discussed her past.
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Motsi, who is often mistaken for sister Oti Mabuse, also a former Strictly star, has served as part of the judging panel on Strictly since 2019. after taking over from Dame Darcey Bussell.
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Speaking in a candid chat to the Mirror, Motsi revealed: "I lived under apartheid until the age of nine, a very scary time. We lived in a Black-only suburb and I didn't speak English when I first went to school.
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"We went to a Catholic school and Black children were a minority. One of the nuns would call us 'Black witches' and hit us. I was terrified."
Motsi began dancing at the age of just six years old, securing a place in the national championship in 1998 at the tender age of only 17.
The following year, she met her dance partner and first husband in Blackpool. She started a new chapter in Europe, competing in ballroom championships and achieving recognition in Germany.
However, she admitted the industry put excessive pressure on her to stay incredible slim. Motsi confessed: "There's so much focus on what you weigh. A teacher once told me to lose weight when I was 50 kilos [7st 12lb].
"My body's changed since, my weight goes up and down. But a healthy mind, body and soul is more important than being thin."
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Meanwhile, her sister Oti Mabuse has faced her own mental health challenges over the years following her exit from Strictly. Despite being a fan favourite and winning with Emmerdale's Kelvin Fletcher and comedian Bill Bailey, she admitted there were times the immense challenge of the programme left her unable to eat and crying in the shower.
However her dancer husband Marius Lepure was there for support. Despite doubters questioning the professional dancer's choice, she says she has no regrets and has built an incredibly successful television career since.
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Oti previously told the All Change podcast: "Luckily my husband again has been an amazing person who has seen the dark days, the days where I'm in the shower crying with my clothes on because it's so hard and it's so overwhelming.
"He's seen me not eat, he's seen me overeat, he's seen me struggle with not being able to get the best out of someone. He's seen me having to deal with 'interesting personalities.' So, he's the person that's seen the behind the scenes at the point where I'd got to where I was like: 'I think I'm finished.' He was like: 'Yeah'."
Oti said she knew her departure came as a shock to Strictly fans, adding: "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?'"