Otlile "Oti" Mabuse (born 8 August 1990) is a South African professional dancer, talent show judge, presenter, and Latin dance champion currently based in the United Kingdom.
She is best known for being a professional dancer on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, which she won in 2019 and 2020, and its German equivalent, Let's Dance. She was a Dance Captain on The Greatest Dancer. Between 2021 and 2022, she was a panellist on The Masked Dancer, and has served as a judge on Dancing on Ice from 2022 until 2025. In 2026, Mabuse joined the judging panel for the Irish version of Dancing with the Stars.
Early life and education
Mabuse was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and studied civil engineering at university before embarking on a career in professional ballroom dancing. Her elder sister, Motsi Mabuse, is also a professional ballroom dancer. Oti has participated in the German series Let's Dance as a professional dancer, after which she joined 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: 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/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultGonzálezM MabuseLlambi1Quickstep / "You're The One That I Want"66315Safe2Rumba / "Mad World"66416Safe3Contemporary / "Jeanny"68620Safe4Cha-Cha-Cha / "Tragedy"55212Safe5Waltz / "Yesterday"66214Bottom two6Hip-Hop / "Sing"77519Safe7Jazz & Paso Doble / "Born This Way"87419Bottom two8Samba / "Livin' la Vida Loca"Disco Marathon / "Ich will immer weider...dieses Fiber spür'n"7Awarded7105points1929Safe9Tango / "When Doves Cry"Rock n' Roll / "Surfin' U.S.A."666724Eliminated
Season 9: with celebrity partner Niels Ruf
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultGonzálezMabuseLlambi1Viennese Waltz / "Where the Wild Roses Grow"3328Bottom three2Jive / "Bad Boy"2316Eliminated
Strictly Come Dancing
Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance Dance Partner Highest Partner Lowest American Smooth Danny MacKelvin Fletcher 39 Graeme Swann 15 Cha-Cha-Cha Kelvin Fletcher 33 Bill BaileyJonnie Peacock 20 Charleston Danny Mac 40 Graeme Swann 31 Couple's Choice Bill Bailey (Street) 39 Ugo Monye Foxtrot Danny Mac 30 Jonnie Peacock 21 Argentine tango 38 Bill Bailey 32 Jive Kelvin Fletcher 39 Anthony Ogogo 21 Paso Doble 37 19 Quickstep 40 Graeme Swann 24 Rumba 39 Ugo Monye 20 Salsa Danny Mac 37 Jonnie Peacock 27 Samba 40 Ugo Monye 18 Tango 38 Jonnie Peacock 26 Viennese Waltz Kelvin Fletcher 34 Danny Mac 32 Waltz Graeme Swann 29 Anthony Ogogo 19 Showdance Bill BaileyDanny MacKelvin Fletcher 40 - -
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 eighth place. She was paired with England cricketer Graeme Swann for the show's 16th series, they were eliminated in Week 10 in seventh 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 18th 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 19th series of the show, Mabuse revealed that this would most likely be her last. On 22 February 2022, Mabuse confirmed she was leaving the show after seven years.
Series Partner Place AverageScore13Anthony Ogogo14th19.714Danny Mac2nd36.615Jonnie Peacock8th25.816Graeme Swann7th26.017Kelvin Fletcher 1st36.418Bill Bailey33.419Ugo Monye11th23.5
Series 13: with celebrity partner Anthony Ogogo
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultCraig RevelHorwoodDarceyBussellLenGoodmanBrunoTonioli1Jive / "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"456621No Elimination2Waltz / "If You Don't Know Me by Now"455519Safe3Paso Doble / "Eye of the Tiger"465419Eliminated
Series 14: with celebrity partner Danny Mac
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultCraig RevelHorwoodDarceyBussellLenGoodmanBrunoTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Cake by the Ocean"8878No Elimination2Viennese Waltz / "Never Tear Us Apart"8888Safe3Paso Doble / "El Sambrero Blanco"9999Safe4Quickstep / "I Won't Dance"999936Safe5Rumba / "How Will I Know"899935Safe6Foxtrot / "Take Me to Church"787830Safe7Jive / "Long Tall Sally"91091038Safe8Argentine Tango / "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"991010Safe9Charleston / "Puttin' On the Ritz"10101010Safe10Samba / "Magalenha"Cha-cha-cha Challenge / "I Like It Like That"10Awarded10510extra10pointsSafe11Tango / "One Night Only"910910Safe12Salsa / "Vivir Mi Vida"American Smooth / "Misty Blue"91099910101037Bottom two13Quickstep / "I Won't Dance"Showdance / "Set Fire to the Rain"Samba / "Magalenha"91010910109101091010Runner-up
Series 15: with celebrity partner Jonnie Peacock
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultRevel HorwoodBussellBallasTonioli1Waltz / "When I Need You"455620No Elimination2Jive / "Johnny B. Goode"678829Safe3Paso Doble / "The Raider's March"667726Safe4American Smooth / "Cry Me a River"788831Safe5Quickstep / "Part-Time Lover"789–#24Safe6Cha-Cha-Cha / "Troublemaker"465520Safe7Salsa / "Turn Me On"677727Safe8Foxtrot / "Someone like You"456621Bottom two9Tango / "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)"676726Eliminated # Bruno Tonioli was absent and there was no guest judge.
Series 16: with celebrity partner Graeme Swann
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultCraig RevelHorwoodDarceyBussellShirleyBallasBrunoTonioli1Samba / "Soul Limbo"566522No Elimination2American Smooth / "Try a Little Tenderness"35 3415 Safe3Charleston / "Spider-Man"788831Safe4Jive / "Don't Stop Me Now"577726Safe5Tango / "Roxanne"6788#29 Safe6Cha-Cha-Cha / "Thriller"456621Bottom two7Waltz / "The Last Waltz"678829Safe8Salsa / "Follow the Leader"788831Bottom two9Jazz / "The Trolley Song"788932Bottom two10Quickstep / "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)"Lindy Hop-a-thon / "Do Your Thing"6Awarded626Extra6Points2426Eliminated # 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/SongJudges' scoresResultHorwoodMabuseBallasTonioliTotal1Samba / "La Vida Es Un Carnaval"8888No Elimination2Waltz / "What the World Needs Now is Love"777728Safe3Charleston / "Trip a Little Light Fantastic"991010Safe4Rumba / "Ain't No Sunshine"999936Safe5Cha-Cha-Cha / "Get Stupid"88833Safe6Tango / "Bad Guy"999936Safe7Viennese Waltz / "Say Something"898934Safe8Salsa / "Let's Hear It for the Boy"899935Safe9Jive / "Jailhouse Rock"9101010Safe10Street / "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)"8101010Safe11American Smooth / "Gaston"910101039Safe 12Quickstep / "The Lady Is a Tramp"Paso Doble / "Seven Nation Army"109101010910937Safe13Rumba / "Ain't No Sunshine"Showdance / "Shout"Samba / "La Vida Es Un Carnaval"9109101010101010101010Winners # Bruno Tonioli was absent; Alfonso Ribeiro was guest judge.
Series 18: with celebrity partner Bill Bailey
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultRevel HorwoodBallasMabuse1Cha Cha Cha / "Pata Pata"36615No Elimination2Quickstep / "Talk to the Animals"88824Safe3Paso Doble / "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"89926Safe4Street / "Rapper's Delight"8109#27Safe5American Smooth / "I've Got You Under My Skin"898#25Safe6Jive / "One Way or Another"88824Safe7Argentine Tango / "The Phantom of the Opera"88824Safe 8Charleston / "Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey"Tango / "Enter Sandman"8887982523Safe9Quickstep / "Talk to the Animals"Showdance / "The Show Must Go On"Street / "Rapper's Delight"9109101010101010Winners # Motsi Mabuse was absent; Anton du Beke was guest judge.
Series 19: with celebrity partner Ugo Monye
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResultRevel HorwoodMabuseBallasDu Beke1Samba / "Iko Iko (My Bestie)"355518No Elimination2Quickstep / "Bring Me Sunshine"577625Safe3 Couple's Choice / "You're Welcome"788831Safe4Viennese Waltz / "I've Been Loving You Too Long"-----Given bye5Rumba / "Leave the Door Open"3656Eliminated
Dance tours and other professional engagements In 2017, Mabuse took part in the national Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour with her celebrity partner Danny Mac. They were voted the winners of more individual shows than any other couple by the audience. In August 2017, Mabuse and Ian Waite announced a 60-date 2018 UK tour An Audience With. She was also a contestant on an episode of Tipping Point: Lucky Stars. In October 2018, Mabuse announced she would be teaching at Donahey's Dancing with the Stars Weekends in 2019.
In 2019, Mabuse became a dance captain on The Greatest Dancer, alongside Cheryl, Matthew Morrison and later Todrick Hall. The same year, she was a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef and was nominated for BroadwayWorld UK Awards - Best Choreography of a New Production of a Play or Musical for her work Kiss Me, Kate at the Watermill Theatre. In 2020, Mabuse became the new host of Boogie Beebies. She was also a contestant on that year's Christmas Special of Michael McIntyre's The Wheel.
In 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. In December 2021, it was confirmed that Mabuse would replace John Barrowman on the judging panel of Dancing on Ice.
From April 2022, Mabuse worked as the choreographer of the UK and Ireland production of The Cher Show, which toured the country.
In November 2024, Mabuse appeared as a contestant on the twenty-fourth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She was the 9th celebrity to leave the camp, finishing at 4th place, just missing out on the final 3.
In September 2025, Mabuse announced she was to appear at "Dancing With The Stars Weekends" 2026.
Personal life
In 2014, Mabuse married Romanian dancer Marius Iepure, whom she met in Germany. they were living in London, after moving there from Germany in 2015. On Christmas Day 2023, Mabuse and Iepure announced the arrival of their first child, a daughter.