'It's such a precious thing' Oti Mabuse and Rev Richard Coles bond ...
Since the start of this season, we’ve seen the group of 12 famous misfits bond over stories about their lives and experiences, and one of the most touching moments so far was when Oti Mabuse and Reverend Richard Coles became tearful talking about their experiences with premature newborns.
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Pic: ITVOti’s daughter just turned one as she entered the jungle, and this time last year to professional dancer was in no fit state to even contemplate taking on such an adventure.
The 34-year-old spoke about her fears as her daughter was born 10 weeks early, while she ended up battling sepsis and diabetes following her pregnancy.
Oti said it was so difficult at the time, as her daughter was taken away from her for treatment after just 10 minutes and she couldn’t hold her daughter while she was in the incubator.
Pic: ITV‘They find comfort in your voice. For two months, every single day we’d sing church music.’ she told Richard.
The Reverend then relayed his own experience with a tiny premature baby, and the very thought of seeing the small boy reduced him to tears, leading to the pair hugging.
Pic: ITV‘I remember going once to baptise a little boy, a premature boy, he was born very premature, he was only just alive. I just remember he was this tiny little pulse of life.’ he said.
‘David [his then partner] got a pipette of water and we blessed it, and we baptised him and he survived and now he’s a healthy young footballer, which is great! But I just felt so… it was such a precious thing.’
Pic: ITVOti said from her perspective as a parent, the whole experience was a terrifying time. ‘It’s hell to be in the hospital, to hear those sounds, to not see your baby’s eyes for a week, it’s hell to constantly look for advice from the doctors.
‘Every night, you need to leave them, you need to leave your baby in someone else’s hands.’
As she said she was looking forward to introducing Richard to her little girl, she also asked him to pray for her little one saying ‘I would really love that’.
However, he beat her to it, admitting ‘I’ve already said a prayer for her actually.’ Oti was overcome with emotion as she thanked him for his thoughtfulness.
Oti’s daughter was released from intensive care after six weeks, and has been thriving ever since- as is her mum.
Pic: ITVShe developed gestational diabetes at 28 weeks pregnant, meaning her blood sugar levels were extremely high, while now she’s pre-diabetic, having above normal range but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.
Previously, she told Loose Women that she didn’t really know anything about gestational diabetes until it happened to her, and it put an enormous strain on her.
‘Does it go away? Do you have to keep working? Years ago I would see pictures of models who would have a baby and within three weeks they’re back and walking the runway,’ she explained.
Pic: ITV‘I’m in the bathroom, I’m crying, I probably haven’t washed in like three days. How am I going to snap back? It’s so difficult and my sister and I talk about this all the time. It’s really about being healthy.’
Oti made it her mission to tackle her fitness to get her blood sugar down, but with pelvic pain after giving birth she said she even found walking difficult initially.
So to see her taking on the jungle this year is truly amazing- go Oti!
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