Dancing On Ice judge Oti Mabuse has broken her silence on rumours she's quitting Strictly Come Dancing.
The dancer has signed up to be a judge on the new series of the ITV skating show, with fans fearful that she might end up moving into other roles permanently and exiting the BBC One dancing show for good.
She has won Strictly twice recently, partnering with actor Kelvin Fletcher and comedian Bill Bailey.
And Oti has now spoken out on the possibility of moving away from Strictly permanently, as she opened up about her future in television and her wish to "learn and grow" as a TV star.
Speaking to The Mirror and other press, she said: "There will be an announcement that will be made later, but for me, as a person in entertainment, I really want to learn and grow and I want a long career, especially in this country.
"I moved all the way from Africa so I have to make something of myself, so I'm really trying to learn and do as much as I can for as long as I can while I can."
Oti has been getting tips from her sister Motsi, who sits on the judging panel on BBC show Strictly.
"We're really close, my sister and I, and what we know from sharing a mum and dad is that we're quite loud," she shared.
"We literally are so bubbly and her advice to me was just to be myself and I think everyone from the BBC who congratulated me said the same thing - just be yourself, be honest, say what you see and say what you feel."
She added: "Say how you hope they would improve and how they can better themselves because at the end of the day, it's about the celeb and how they can get better and how they can win."
Oti had previously spoken of her excitement at joining the ice panel.
"As a professional dancer I have always had so much respect for the skating professionals on Dancing On Ice," she said, "It is an exceptional skill that is also so beautiful to watch.
"I’m feeling really enthusiastic about joining the panel alongside the legendary Torvill and Dean and Ashley Banjo. I can’t wait to see the celebrities thrive as they learn how to ice-skate and to champion the professional skaters as they create incredible choreography."
*The new series of Dancing On Ice starts at 6.30pm on Sunday 16th December on ITV.
