I’M A Celebrity star Oti Mabuse and her sister Motsi are both best known for being on Strictly Come Dancing.
Whilst in the jungle, Oti opened up about the sisters losing their brother when he was young. Here we take a look at the life of their siblings.
I’m A Celebrity star Oti Mabuse has become one of TV’s hottest properties.
After launching to fame on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2015, she made the decision to switch to ITV and join Dancing On Ice in 2022.
But before that fans will remember her working alongside her sister Motsi on Strictly.
However, the two siblings have another sister, who was once dubbed the “best dancer of the three”.
The three sisters also had a brother, who sadly passed away as a teenager.
Motsi
Motsi and Oti are both known for Strictly[/caption]
Born in 1981, Motsi, who is the oldest of the siblings, is best known for being a judge on Strictly Come Dancing.
The talented star was revealed as Darcey Bussell’s replacement on the hit show back in 2019.
The South African dancer was also a judge on the German version of Strictly, called Let’s Dance, which Oti danced on for two series.
Before joining Strictly, as Oti was already on the show, Motsi told The Sun how Mabuse family met to discuss the situation.
“We had a family conversation,” explained Motsi, “Everybody was involved because it was such a big decision. There was a bit of anxiety within the family [about the two sisters on the show] and how [it would work].
“They were like: ‘You can’t judge your sister.’ I said: ‘I’m not judging my sister.’ So it was for the family to say: ‘Everybody be at their best and then we are all good.’
“And I remember after the first day, Oti said: ‘You were so good. You light it up. I’m so proud.’”
Phemelo
Phemelo is the middle sibling out of the Mabuse sisters[/caption]
Born in 1984, Phemelo, who is the middle child of the family, keeps away from the limelight as she works as a mechanical engineer in South Africa.
Nonetheless, she shares Oti and Motsi’s dancing abilities, keeping a toe in the professional dance world and competing at the World Dance Championships.
Oti revealed on the Jonathan Ross Show: “To be honest, we have another sister, middle sister, she was the better dancer.
“She’s a mechanical engineer. She designs windmills which create electricity through wind in South Africa.”
The three Mabuse sisters are very close[/caption]
The proud sister revealed how her older sibling won the South African title in Latin American & Ballroom as a juvenile, junior and youth.
Phemelo went on to compete at world championship level four times, as well as teaching dance in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
The sisters’ are rarely seen together, with the third sister only making a single appearance on Celebrity Gogglebox in 2021.
Neo
During her time on I’m A Celebrity, Oti opened up about the devastating death of her brother Neo.
She revealed he took his own life when he was a teenager.
Neo was the three sisters’ half-brother who their mother, Dudu, welcomed from a previous relationship before meeting Oti, Motsi, and Phemelo’s father, Peter Mabuse.
Speaking to her campmates, Oti said: “I had a brother who committed suicide when he was 16 and I think, if he had spoken to someone about what he was feeling, it would’ve been a different turnout.”
The dancer added: “Especially in our culture, we don’t really open up.”
Motsi has also previously opened up about her brother’s death.
Speaking in her book, Chili in the Blood: My Dance Through Life, she talked about the impact it had on her family.
“Because the people of Africa are very religious and superstitious, something bad arose in our neighbourhood,” Motsi wrote. “With the suicide of Neo, our family was seen as one where there was a negative energy.”
She added: “Because of this rumour, no one came to us any more, because it was feared that the bad energy applied to the visitor.”
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk
- HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123
