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Oti Mabuse grateful to 'Strictly' as it meant she could see sister Motsi amid pandemic

Motsi Mabuse and Oti Mabuse in 2020 (Doug Peters/EMPICS)
Motsi Mabuse and Oti Mabuse in 2020 (Doug Peters/EMPICS)

Oti Mabuse has revealed the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing was particularly special because it gave her the chance to see her sister Motsi amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The pro dancer, 30, has not seen her family in South Africa for two years, and hadn’t seen her big sister in months.

But she shared that Strictly reunited her and Motsi – who is a judge on the BBC programme – and that being together on the show made things a little easier.

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“I haven’t seen my family in about two years because they are in South Africa and it is currently not great in South Africa as well, so to have Strictly is another thing that I’m grateful for,” she said on ITV’s Lorraine.

“Even though we were in separate bubbles it was nice that I could actually see her and that she was there.”

Motsi Mabusi (left) and Oti Mabusi in the Press Room at the National Television Awards 2020 held at the O2 Arena, London. Photo credit should read: Doug Peters/EMPICS
Motsi Mabusi (left) and Oti Mabusi in 2020 (Doug Peters/EMPICS)

However, Oti said there was also one positive thing about lockdown for her, and that was that she actually got to know some relatives better than before.

“There is the opportunity to make new connections, to bond,” she said.

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“I know during the first lockdown we started Zooming weekly with the extended family, like our first, second and third cousins, and everybody got to know each other, all the children.

“Christmas was also spent on Zoom and it was the entire family so I think it gave us the opportunity to make more connections and deeper ones.”

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Oti joined Strictly as a professional dancer in 2015 and won the latest series with her celebrity dance partner Bill Bailey.

Motsi, 39, joined the programme as a judge in 2019, replacing Darcey Bussell.

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