Motsi Mabuse is a professional dancer and judge who will bring experience to the panel of Strictly Come Dancing.
The older sister of ballroom star Oti is no stranger to TV, and has enjoyed a parallel career to that of her fellow dancer.
Mabuse made a name for herself on the German version of Strictly, Let’s Dance.
The South African first performed on the show for two series from 2007, she then joined the judging panel of the dance show in 2011.
The 38-year-old dancer was born in Mankwe, now part South Africa, and brought up in Pretoria.
In her youth, she and her family endured the final years of the apartheid system.
In the late 90s, Mabuse finished school and set out to study law at the University Of Pretoria.
Her long love of dance diverted her from her planned legal career with the family firm, and the Latin expert rose to the top of the South African ballroom world.
She has since competed in ballroom’s spiritual home of Blackpool.
She was married to fellow dancer Timo Kulczak, and according to German press is now in a relationship with Let’s Dance colleague Evgenij Voznyuk.
Mabuse has been described by her younger sister as her first coach, and as an inspiration for her own dance career.
Together they have appeared on the celebrity version of Channel 4 show Gogglebox, along with sister Phemelo Mitchell.