Former Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse has spoken out against the cruel “mum-shaming” she experienced during her stint on ITV I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! last year.
The South African professional dancer, 34, appeared on the show just a year after the birth of her daughter, who was delivered prematurely and spent six weeks in hospital.
Despite proving popular with viewers and finishing fourth in the competition, Mabuse revealed she faced harsh criticism for spending several weeks away from her young child.
Speaking to The Sun, Mabuse revealed: “I definitely was judged. And there were so many fathers in there, too.”
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She pointed out the double standard, noting that other parents, including Danny Jones and Alan Halsall, were also in the jungle.
“These people don’t know me or my relationship or my home situation. The response from everyone seemed to be, ‘How could you leave your baby?'” she said.
Hitting back at the trolls, Mabuse defended working mothers everywhere.
“I have to go to work. If I don’t, we don’t eat,” she stated firmly.
“Working does not take away from the fact I love my child, but she knows that Mummy goes to work and she goes to nursery,” Mabuse explained.
The dancer also expressed frustration at the implication that only mothers need to be with their children.
Mabuse revealed her husband Marius was fully supportive of her jungle adventure and hoped her daughter would grow up seeing her mother as a positive role model.
“It’s good to teach her that she’s got to be a strong woman. I hope she looks up to me and sees that her mum works hard.
“She’s happy. She is my number one priority,” Mabuse affirmed.
Mabuse’s daughter was born prematurely in November 2023, arriving early with an infection that required six weeks in intensive care.
The family was finally able to bring their daughter home on Christmas Eve 2023.
Before entering the Jungle, Mabuse reflected: “Not seeing my daughter is going to be hard.“
During the series, the 34-year-old described the “traumatic” early birth of her daughter as “one of the scariest” times of her life.
While speaking with the Rev Richard Coles, she recalled: “My daughter was really, really tiny when she was born.
“It’s hell. It’s hell to be in the hospital, to hear those sounds, to not see your baby’s eyes for a week, it’s hell to constantly look for advice from the doctors.”
Holding back tears, she remembered the fear of having to “leave your baby in someone else’s hands”.
As a result, she explained she and her husband have become incredibly “protective” of their daughter.
Mabuse left Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 after a successful career on the BBC show.
She subsequently joined the ITV Dancing On Ice judging panel, where she has been for four years.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Dancing On Ice would be coming to an end after 19 years.
