Strictly Come Dancing ’s Oti Mabuse has shared her pride after visiting her mum's dance school in South Africa.
The professional dancer, 31, surprised her relatives over Christmas when she headed back to her home town for the first time in three years, and she’s been sweetly posting videos and pictures from her heartwarming trip.
Oti took to her Instagram Stories to upload a photo of her posing with Dudu Mabuse outside a new dance school, which has been launched by her ambitious mum.
Doting daughter Oti shared her overwhelming joy at her mother’s achievements, and told her 637,000 followers about the new venture.
“I see the legacy my mother has built, and I’m so unbelievably proud, inspired and honoured to be her daughter,” she captioned the snap, which showed her cuddling her mother while beaming at the camera.
“This building has changed so many lives, saved to many kids (sic), educated so many kids in dance, school - fed so many mouths,” she wrote. “And helped those who couldn't help themselves.”
“But it takes a woman with fire in her belly to keep it going from strength to strength. That's my mother,” the proud dancer added.
Oti has been documenting her emotional trip home on social media, which she embarked on at the end of December.
The star, who has also appeared as a judge on Let’s Dance, said she had been waiting almost four years to go home and visit her mum, dad, sister, nieces and nephews.
Her trip was delayed due to the Covid pandemic in 2020, which scuppered her plans to visit South Africa after competing in the 2019 series of Strictly Come Dancing, in which she won the glitterball trophy with former Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher.
“FINALLY AFTER YEARS I WAS ABLE TO GO HOME TO SOUTH AFRICA,” she began the post.
“Decided to surprise my family and not tell them I’m coming home just to see their expressions, mom was speechless (touched me all to see if I was real, dad couldn’t stop smiling and my god mother cried her eyes off),” Oti wrote, as she described her relief at seeing her relatives in real life and ‘not through a screen’.
Oti has largely kept her personal life out of the spotlight, but the dancer said she was inspired to share this special reunion because she’s aware ‘so many others’ are in the same position.
“Covid has really taught me how much family is above all and should never be taken for granted,” she mused.
“Happy for you babe,” fellow Strictly pro Giovanni Pernice commented, while Neil Jones left a series of love heart emojis.
