TV Times – 03 August 2019

(Axel Boer) #1
4 TV TIMES

Motsi Mabuse – sister of pro dancer Oti – will


replace Dame Darcey Bussell on the judging panel


A


fter months of
speculation, Strictly
Come Dancing has
finally revealed who will
replace Dame Darcey Bussell after
she decided to bow out, having spent
six years on the judging panel.
Joining the hit BBC1 series to
sit alongside head judge Shirley
Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and
Bruno Tonioli is Motsi Mabuse,
South African dance champion,
Latin specialist and elder sister
of professional dancer Oti.
Motsi is no stranger to TV – not
only has she been both a dancer
and a judge on the German version
of the show, Let’s Dance, she has
also recently appeared on Celebrity
Gogglebox alongside Oti and their
other sister Phemelo.
While some fans are wondering
how Motsi will judge her own sister
in a dance-off, we shouldn’t worry,
as the pair have already been in

that exact situation when Oti
danced as a pro on Let’s Dance.
‘I am absolutely overjoyed to be
joining the Strictly judging panel,’
says Motsi, 38. ‘I have
so much respect
and admiration
for the other
three judges
and hope
to add my
own bit of
sparkle to
the show.
Exciting
times ahead,
I can’t wait to
get started and
to meet all of the
Strictly team.’
Bruno has called Motsi
‘the perfect choice’ for the job,
while dancer Neil Jones calls her
‘one of the greatest female dancers
of her time’. Shirley also showed

her support saying, ‘We are going
to have a ball and [Motsi is] going
to love every second.’
Of course, Oti herself was one of
the favourites for the judging
role, after proving
popular as a captain
on BBC1 show The
Greatest Dancer
earlier this year.
Other names
that had been
in the frame
were former
champion
Harry Judd,
It Takes Two
favourite Karen
Hardy and Anton Du
Beke, who is expected to
return as a professional dancer.
Strictly is back this Autumn
and we’re expecting the celebrity
line-up to be revealed very soon.
EMMA BULLIMORE

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Dancing queens:
Motsi with her
sister Oti

I hope


to add


my own


bit of


sparkle


MOTSI MABUSE


Meet


Strictly’s


new judge!


The end of an era:
Darcey departs
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