Oti Mabuse has opened up about her future on Strictly Come Dancing after she returned to rehearsals for the hit BBC ballroom dancing show.
Oti left the show to pursue other opportunities, appearing as a judge on Dancing on Ice and featuring on Celebrity Gogglebox and The Masked Dancer.
But fresh speculation surged surrounding her possible return to the Strictly dance floor after being spotted in what looked like training gear.
Oti addressed the rumours during an appearance on This Morning on Bank Holiday Monday to discuss the new series of The Masked Dancer with hosts Vernon Kay and Rochelle Humes.
Rochelle turned the conversation to Strictly, saying: “That’s where we obviously know you from, your lovely sister is obviously a judge.
“This is going to be your first series this autumn not on the show. How does that feel? Is it going to be surreal to watch it and not be there?”
Oti said: “I feel Strictly will always be a part of my life, somehow. My best friends are still there, my sister is still there. It will always be a part of my life.”
She then explained of the training session: “I went back and I choreographed a group dance, which was so nice to work with the professionals in that capacity. So I feel like it’s that family that will always be there for me.”
The ballroom dancer was spotted smiling for a selfie with the show’s professional Graziano Di Prima and his new wife Giada, as the trio appear to be sitting in the middle of a dance floor.
She won the TV show in 2019 and 2020 alongside Kelvin Fletcher and Bill Bailey respectively, and said she keeps both Glitterball trophies in her dance studio.
Speaking to You magazine earlier this year, Oti said: “When I came to Britain I said to myself, ’My dream is to win Strictly.′
“And I have, and it was such an amazing seven years, but I’ve done what I needed to do."
It has already been confirmed that her sister Motsi Mabuse, is returning in September as a judge once again.
The upcoming episodes will mark the show’s 20th series in what promises to be a stellar year for the BBC hit as the likes of Helen Skelton, Matt Goss, Will Mellor and Kym Marsh all take to the dance floor.
Anton du Beke will be joining the judging panel permanently this series, alongside Motsi, Craig Revel Horwood and Shirley Ballas.
