Oti Mabuse is one of the most famous faces on TV having shot to fame on Strictly Come Dancing before becoming a judge on Dancing On Ice.
She is often credited with carving out an enviable career on primetime television. However, the South-African star, 33, insists the credit must also go to her husband, Marius Lepure, 41, who she says is her "rock" when it comes to her success.
The couple welcomed their first child in December, but after a traumatic birth and a terrifying health scare, Oti didn't reveal she had welcomed the couple's daughter into the world until the tot was nine weeks old. So, as she gets used to life as a new mum with her adorable baby girl, here's the lowdown on the dancer's life away from the cameras.
Secret husband
It was a case of Sliding Doors for Oti and dancer, Marius, when their worlds collided and they struck up a friendship before going on to date.
Born in Romania, Marius, 41, moved to Germany in 2001 and participated in Let's Dance, the German take on Strictly Come Dancing, from 2014 to 2015. Marius and Oti were first introduced by Oti's sister Motsi, who suggested a few men she could trial as dance partners when she turned professional and moved from her native South Africa to Europe.
Oti soon realised she wanted her future husband as her dance partner and cancelled all the other hopefuls, who were still shining their ballroom shoes. The talented couple went onto win competitions together, but nearly parted ways before their romantic relationship even started.
Oti confessed they "clashed" at first because she wanted to have an equal standing in their dance partnership and she threatened to walk way for good. "I'm a big personality and [Marius] is a big personality as well. So, it became a bit of a clash," she Oti on the She's Just a Dancer podcast.
"There was one moment where he said to me, 'No. You have to do this because you don't know what you're doing. I turned and said to him, 'Let me tell you what I do know. I know how to pack my bags and leave.'"
However, it seems this was the moment that Marius fell in love with Oti for her strong personality and no-nonsense attitude. The couple tied the knot in 2014 and Marius actually appeared on Strictly in 2017 during a group dance.
'Miracle' baby news
Oti announced that she was expecting her first chid with Marius in August last year. The former Strictly Come Dancing star, who has spoken openly about her fertility struggles, revealed the happy news live on her ITV Breakfast Show on Saturday morning.
Marius and Oti announced the pregnancy towards the end of the show, much to their guests’ and viewers’ surprise. The TV star said: “Speaking of things you didn’t know at home, we have a little something for all of you, we’ve been holding some good news. We’re having a baby!”
The couple then hugged, appearing ecstatic about the prospect of welcoming a new addition to their family, as the crew and audience cheered.
'Traumatic' health scare
After the joy of her pregnancy news, Oti admitted her labour was far from easy, revealing her baby spent six weeks in hospital after being born prematurely while the new mum battled a deadly infection after giving birth.
The dancer described the ordeal as "traumatic" as she revealed her daughter was placed in an incubator with jaundice. Meanwhile, Oti was diagnosed with sepsis - a serious condition in which the body responds improperly to an infection.
Opening up about her shock secret health battle, Oti - who didn't reveal she had given birth until her daughter was nine weeks old - described the experience as "traumatic" as she finally welcomed her "miracle" baby.
Speaking on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, she said: “We announced the baby when she was nine weeks. We just wanted to take time for ourselves. She was very premature. She came really, really early. Unexpectedly premature, which was a big, big, big shock."
The Dancing On Ice judge, who has yet to reveal her baby daughter's name, praised Marius and her mum for their support, continuing: “She was in a critical condition really for the first six weeks and me and Marius just really wanted to be there mentally, physically, emotionally. My mum stopped everything and flew directly to England just to be with us.
Explaining things don't always go to plan when you have a baby, Oti added: "You give birth, you hug and then the baby gets taken away. The next time you see them they’re in a box and they’re wired up and they’re not well or under blue light and it gets traumatic. You have to get over giving birth and then get over, ‘Oh I’m not walking out of here with my baby. We’re going to stay here for a while'".
Thankfully, mum, baby and dad, Marius, are now doing well, as Oti concluded: "Going through all of that emotional trauma that you go through when you have a premature baby and for six weeks being in the hospital with the little one and then finally coming out and having her home with friends and family over Christmas was really, really nice."
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