Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse announces she’s quitting show after 2021 series

Strictly Come Dancing’s Oti Mabuse has announced her plans to quit the BBC One dancing competition after the upcoming series later this year.

It was confirmed last month that the professional dancer would be returning to the show in 2021, however, the two-time champion has shared she’s considering to bow out after this season is done and dusted.

‘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,’ Oti said.

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

‘It always pushes to open new doors. You almost forget this year we had JJ [Chalmers] and Will [Bayley] the year before, it’s become a normal thing.

‘I’m sure they will have a male same-sex couple this year.’

She added to the publication: ‘But honestly as a woman I can’t be dancing forever.’

Oti has taken home the glitterball twice in the past two years with comedian Bill Bailey and actor Kelvin Fletcher.

In March, it was revealed that Oti would be joining the judging panel for The Masked Dancer, with Masked Singer judge Rita Ora notably absent from the line-up.

After landing her new TV gig, Oti initially refused to say whether or not it affected her place on Strictly 2021, on which she has appeared as a professional dancer since 2015.

Strictly is reportedly set to return with a live audience later this year as well as reports claiming it’ll be back for a full 13-week run – including Blackpool.

Strictly Come Dancing is set to return to BBC One in the autumn.

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