Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse has suggested that the upcoming 2021 series of the reality show will be the last one she takes part in.
The professional dancer made Strictly history last year when she picked up the Glitterball trophy with comedian Bill Bailey, just a year after she won the 2019 series with former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher, making her the only Strictly pro to win the show two years in a row.
It was confirmed in March that Oti, along with the rest of 2020’s pro line-up, will return for the 2021 series, but sadly for Oti’s fans, it seems that this could be the final year that she competes on Strictly.
Guy LevyBBC
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Speaking to The Telegraph, she said: “I love to dance and also I love bringing joy to so many people. But I think that will be the last one.”
She added that dancing is her life but that “honestly, as a woman I can’t be dancing forever”. However, it sounds like Oti has plenty of potential opportunities up her sleeve for when she does leave the Strictly ballroom behind, including continuing to run her dance studio and getting involved in other TV projects.
“Never in a million years did I think I can open my own Oti Mabuse Dance Studio and teach, and do something else I love,” she said. “Having choices like The Masked Dancer and live presenting was only possible for me because of coming to the UK. There are so many possibilities here. When I was growing up in Pretoria there were none.”
Oti, who joked that she would like actor Zac Efron to be her final Strictly dance partner, also praised the BBC show for its diversity, revealing that she is expecting to see a male couple competing on the next series.
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“To be part of a show like Strictly, which is so diverse in every sense of the word, is incredible,” she said. “It always pushes to open new doors.
“You almost forget this year we had JJ (Chalmers, Invictus Games champion) and Will (Bayley, Paralympic athlete) the year before, it’s become a normal thing. I’m sure they will have a male same-sex couple this year.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One. It’s due to return later in 2021.
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