STRICTLY Come Dancing champ Oti Mabuse will return for this year’s show — after she and ex-dance partner Kelvin Fletcher denied romance. The pair were pictured enjoying late-night drinks last month, and Kelvin’s wife Eliza Marsland was seen out without her wedding ring. Oti, 29, who is also a judge on BBC1 show The Greatest […]
STRICTLY Come Dancing champ Oti Mabuse will return for this year’s show — after she and ex-dance partner Kelvin Fletcher denied romance.
The pair were pictured enjoying late-night drinks last month, and Kelvin’s wife Eliza Marsland was seen out without her wedding ring.
Oti, 29, who is also a judge on BBC1 show The Greatest Dancer, took to Instagram to tell fans: “So happy to be back! 2019 was an incredible year. I was able to do so much and all because of this wonderful show.
“Strictly has given me friendships, opportunities, laughs and I’ve learnt the most from going to work and being myself. I’m nothing but honoured and grateful to be back.”
South African born Oti is married to fellow pro dancer Marius Lepure, 37, and the couple are holding a weekend of dance classes in London this summer.
A source said: “Oti was concerned that the scandal with pal Kelvin was going to affect her family-friendly brand, which she has spent so long building.
“It’s the last thing she wanted and was desperate to distance herself from a curse. She wants to be paired with an older dancer.”
The curse of Strictly has affected many celebrities taking part in the show over the years, including Stacey Dooley, who split with her personal trainer fiance Sam Tucknott to be with dance partner Kevin Clifton.
Last year the future of 30-year-old Russian pro dancer Katya Jones was also in doubt after she was snapped in a passionate embrace with dance partner comedian Seann Walsh, 34.
She has since split with her pro dancer husband Neil, 37, but was branded “a homewrecker” after Seann’s supportive girlfriend Rebecca Humphries was left devastated.
A source said: “Bosses allowed her to stay on the show but ensured she was partnered with an older celebrity.”
In 2015, ex-Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote split with co-star Sean Ward and dated pro Gioavanni Pernice.
In 2013 Rugby ace Ben Cohen divorced wife Abby and later had a child with pro partner Kristina Rihanoff.
Rachel Riley is still with pro Pasha Kovalev after her marriage to Jamie Gilbert ended.
Last week, dancer Kevin Clifton, 37, made the shock announcement he was leaving after seven series, throwing bosses in a spin to replace him.
But veteran dancer Anton Du Beke, 53, will return along with husband and wife duo Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara.
Others signed up for the show include AJ Pritchard, Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Giovanni Pernice, Gorka Marquez, Graziano Di Prima, Johannes Radebe, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova, Nancy Xu and Neil Jones.
