Oti Mabuse has opened up about the valuable “huge lesson” she learned following ITV’s decision to axe her weekend breakfast show.
The professional dancer, who took the helm of a Saturday morning programme on the network, alongside Laura Whitmore who presented on Sundays, faced disappointment when their shows were dropped during an early schedule overhaul last year.
The South African-born star reflected on the experience, acknowledging that the cancellation was a “lesson,” and believes that her failures have taught her more than her successes. Despite the setbacks, Oti, 34, is well-acquainted with triumph.
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Since leaving South Africa in 2015, she made a name for herself on Germany’s Let’s Dance before joining the cast of Strictly Come Dancing in its 13th series, where she achieved consecutive victories with Kelvin Fletcher and Bill Bailey.
After departing from Strictly in 2021, where her sister Motsi serves on the judging panel, Oti continued her television career by becoming a judge on ITV’s Dancing on Ice in 2022, sitting alongside Ashley Banjo and Olympic legends Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean.
However, it’s the lessons from life’s setbacks that Oti values most. Speaking to The Times, she shared: “But the biggest lessons you get are from the failures. The most successful people are the ones who have failed over and over and over again and not given up.
Oti Mabuse -Credit:Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
“I went to my first concert at the age of 31 and that was me seeing Elton John. I was always in the studio, always being a good girl. I never lived a life. I’d never taken a moment to stop and travel, go on holiday, do what I wanted to do.
“So I needed to do that. Even getting a new show [an ITV weekend breakfast show in 2023] and then having my show cancelled, those were huge lessons for me.”
Oti is back on Dancing on Ice just a month after exiting the Australian jungle, narrowly missing out on the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! final. She came fourth, trailing Rev Richard Coles from the Communards, Coleen Rooney, and eventual champion Danny Jones from McFly.
Oti Mabuse -Credit:ITV/REX/Shutterstock
This meant leaving her infant daughter and husband Marius Iepure at home. Before the show, she stated: “I’ve always wanted to be a part of the show in some capacity, and I felt like right now, this year is the only year for me to do it, because I’ll probably never do it again.
“I’ll never get another chance to do it again. I’d love to expand my family. I’d like to pursue other things. And so this was the year for me to do it, and it just felt right.
“I would love to expand my family so let’s see what happens. But in terms of being away from family, I probably won’t be able to do that much longer.”
Talking about their brief time apart, she remarks: “My daughter won’t remember it. It’s just a couple of days. She’s with a lot of family, and she’s with my husband who is amazing, and she’s in more than capable hands.”