Oti Mabuse reveals the REAL reason she quit Strictly and admits she had ‘dark days’ where she ‘couldn’t eat’ and ‘cried in the shower’

Oti Mabuse has finally revealed the real reason she quit Strictly Come Dancing.

The dancer, 33, shocked fans in February last year when she announced she would be leaving the show as a double champion after seven years. 

And though she was going from success after success, the star admitted she had plenty of ‘dark days’ that made her unable to eat and left her ‘crying’ in the shower.

Oti won the Glitterball trophy in two consecutive years with Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher, 37, and comedian Bill Bailey, 56, leaving many to believe that the South African could be set for a sensational hat trick.

But speaking on the All Change podcast, Oti admitted that the pressure of dealing with the celebrity contestants and stress she put on herself became too much.

Opening up: Oti Mabuse has finally revealed the real reason she quit Strictly Come Dancing

This forced her to turn to her husband, fellow dancer Marius Lepure, who she hailed as an ‘amazing’ person.

She explained: ‘Luckily my husband again has been an amazing person who has seen the dark days, the days where I’m in the shower crying with my clothes on because it’s so hard and it’s so overwhelming.

‘He’s seen me not eat, he’s seen me overeat, he’s seen me struggle with not being able to get the best out of someone.

‘He’s seen me having to deal with ‘interesting personalities.’

‘So, he’s the person that’s seen the behind the scenes at the point where I’d got to where I was like: “I think I’m finished.” He was like: “Yeah”.’

She said she knew it came as a shock when, after being on the show for seven years and becoming one of its best known faces, she threw in the towel.

Oti added: ‘I came from the biggest show on television. Every single human being on this planet, in this country, loves Strictly. People are obsessed.

‘When you come from there, you are with that group, then when you decide you’re going to leave it’s like: “What? What do you mean?”

Sad: The dancer, 33, shocked fans in February last year when she announced she would be leaving the show as a double champion after seven years

QUIT! And though she was going from success after success, the star admitted she had plenty of ‘dark days’ that made her unable to eat and left her ‘crying’ in the shower (Pictured in 2020 with Bill Bailey as they won series 18)

Support: Oti revealed that the pressure became too much, forcing her to turn to her husband, fellow dancer Marius Lepure, who she hailed as an ‘amazing’ person

‘I was met with a lot of: “Why would you leave? You’re happy, you’re at the top of your professional game, you professional game, you won the show?”‘

But Oti, whose sister Motsi is still a judge on Strictly, said she wanted to go on to other projects that once again ‘put the fire in my belly’.

Thankfully for her, she went on to become a judge on Dancing on Ice and hosted her own dating show, Romeo & Duet.

She added: ‘I was really lucky at that point that just after winning my second title [on Strictly], ITV held their arms open and they were like “hey, come in!”

‘So when I was jumping, there was somewhere to land. Even though I left, there was this whole world, a new family, that had opened doors for me and that’s luck and I have to be honest about that, I have to be grateful for that.’

Oti is an eight-time South African Latin American Champion and first joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2015 when she was partnered with Olympic boxer Anthony Ogogo, 33, finishing in 14th place.

The following year she reached the final with Hollyoaks actor Danny Mac, 33, losing out to eventual winner Ore Oduba, 36.

In 2017, she was partnered with Paralympian Jonnie Peacock, 28, finishing in 8th place before performing with Graeme Swann, 42, for the show’s 2018 series, where she was knocked out in Week 8. 

She became only the second professional dancer to win the show twice, lifting the Glitterball with Kelvin in 2019 and Bill in 2020.

During her final series in 2021 she starred with rugby ace Ugo Monye, 38, finishing 11th in the Covid-hit season.

In April last year, Oti hinted 2021 could be her final season on Strictly.

She said: ‘I love to dance and also I love bringing joy to so many people, but I think that [this year’s Strictly] will be the last one.

Double champ! She left Strictly after winning the Glitterball trophy in two consecutive years with Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher, 37, (pictured in 2019) and comedian Bill Bailey, 56

‘To be part of a show like Strictly, which is so diverse in every sense of the word, is incredible.’

It comes after Oti and husband Marius surprised both guests and viewers alike when they announced they were expecting their first child on air.

Embracing her husband, Oti began the final segment of her show as normal, before teasing that they had been ‘holding in some good news’.

She said: ‘Speaking of things that you didn’t know at home, we have a little something for all of you, we’ve been holding some good news. We’re having a baby!’ 

The couple then shared a warm embrace as the crew could be heard cheering, while Marisha and Chizzy looked completely shocked by the revelation. 

After confirming the news live on air, Oti then took to Instagram to share an array of sweet snaps of herself cradling her baby bump as she posed alongside Marius.

Oti cosied up to her husband in the snaps and opened up on her pregnancy in an accompanying caption, admitting she is ‘scared’ but describing it as ‘the best news’.

She also hinted at her due date as she told how their ‘beautiful journey’ is ‘nearly over’ and teased that ‘Christmas is about to get even louder’.

Oti wrote : ‘Our ‘yes’ year is getting better and better and so is our little family. We feel finally ready and excited to share our wonderful news. 

‘This is new for us scarier than swimming with sharks, jumping off cliffs or even swinging from bridges but the best news we could have ever ask for. 

‘We love our little bundle of joy so much already… and can’t wait to see what our future will now look like as family of 3 plus Leo, it’s been a beautiful journey so far with close friends and family and nearly over but we have learnt a lot a long the way…. Christmas is about to get even louder.’

Oti and Marius met in Germany during a dance trial and competed together in several competitions.

Marius popped the question on his birthday to the Dancing On Ice judge in 2014 and the pair married the same year.

Romance: Oti and Marius met in Germany during a dance trial and competed together in several competitions. Marius popped the question in 2014 and they married that same year

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