Who is Oti Mabuse? I'm a Celebrity 2024 contestant and dancer
As we wait for the 2024 season to begin, here's everything you need to know about Oti Mabuse.
Oti Mabuse. Karwai Tang/WireImage
Age: 34
Instagram: @otimabuse
Job: Professional dancer and TV presenter
Oti Mabuse rose to fame after joining Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in 2015 for the 13th season.
During her time on the show, she became a fan favourite and won the Glitterball trophy twice alongside soap star Kelvin Fletcher and comic Bill Bailey. Oti left the smash-hit dancing show after winning with Bailey in 2022.
In an interview with You Magazine, she opened up about her surprise decision to leave the show. She said: "I didn’t want to hold on and get to the point where I wasn’t happy any more. I left when I was at the peak, in terms of working on the show. It feels like I’m leaving family behind – even the backstage team, the people viewers don’t get to see – but when you know it’s time to go, you know."
Since then, Oti has continued on TV as a judge on Dancing on Ice and The Greatest Dancer, and as a panellist on The Masked Dancer. In 2023, she had a short stint hosting her own Saturday morning talk show, Oti Mabuse's Breakfast Show.
Phobias: "I am terrified of snakes!"
Best & worst attributes: "I think I have a good listening ear. My worst? I can be quite loud – but unintentionally. And if I get bored, I am even more energetic."
Dream camper: "I love actresses, so someone like Kerry Washington or Viola Davis. We can listen to each other and laugh."
What has Oti Mabuse said about joining I'm a Celebrity 2024?Oti Mabuse admits to being a superfan of I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! – and it’s one of the main reasons why she accepted an offer to take part.
“I have been a fan of I’m a Celebrity for so long,” said Oti. “Outside of Strictly and Dancing on Ice, it’s the show I watch religiously, and I can remember last year thinking: ‘OK, this feels right. I am definitely up for it now, I am up for the challenge’.
“Now I have had my baby daughter, I want to get back to the adventurous and fun Oti. I feel ready for a change and doing something completely different. I will have no make-up, concealer, lashes – it’s going to be nice to be laid back.”
How well Oti will do when it comes to the creepy crawlies in the jungle is a whole different story...
The dancer and judge predicts coming face-to-face with a snake will be the most difficult challenge. She admits: “In my head I am a superhero but snakes are not my thing. I am petrified of them and they are my biggest fear.”
However, it doesn't sound like she will allow her fears to get in the way of the win. As a former Strictly champ, she vows to be competitive when it comes to the Bushtucker Trials. She explained: “This is one of the shows where it is really nice to be determined, ambitious and competitive when it comes to doing a challenge. It will be about getting the stars.”
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I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! begins on Sunday 17th November at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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