Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse once opened up about her upbringing in South Africa.
Motsi, 43, who is sister to dancer Oti Mabuse, opened up about her upbringing back in 2022.
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Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse on ‘traumatising’ upbringing
During an interview with The Big Issue back in 2022, Motsi opened up about her difficult childhood in South Africa.
“At 16, I was living in Pretoria, and we had just moved from a black area to a very white area. South Africa was open, so black people were allowed to move into certain parts and my parents were always against boundaries, so they pushed those limits,” she said.
She then continued, saying: “They wanted a better life for their kids. That was the aim, but it also meant we moved into a very hostile area. Our parents wanted us to be safe, which meant if we wanted to visit friends they would need to drive us. Because if we got the bus, big white boys would attack us.”
Strictly star Motsi Mabuse on ‘survival of the fittest’
The star then continued, saying that getting into dancing gave her the opportunity to “shine”.
“It was about survival of the fittest. Dancing was a way for me to not just exist but to shine. I’ve always had that need to shine. And because of the situation around me in South Africa at the time, there was just not the opportunity. With dancing, I built my own stage,” she said.
‘He killed himself with poison’
Last March, Motsi opened up about how her half-brother’s death led to the family being shunned.
Neo was the eldest child of Motsi’s mother Dudu, who was born when she was still a teenager. Oti, Motsi and their middle sister Phemelo have a different dad, making Neo their half-brother.
He took his own life shortly after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 and, speaking on DNA Journey, Motsi said the family think the changes he witnessed in the country due to Apartheid “overwhelmed” him.
“I think all the changes had overwhelmed him a little bit, everything had seemed difficult to him. He had gone to a private school, but he had surrounded himself with people you might call ‘false friends’.
“It was a tough time for all of us, but especially for my mum.”
She also told the Mirror: “He killed himself with a poison. And because the people of Africa are very religious and superstitious, something bad arose in our neighbourhood. With the suicide of Neo, our family was seen as one where there was a negative energy.
“Because of this rumour, no one came to us any more, because it was feared that the bad energy applied to the visitor.”
‘I was afraid of life’
The star also shared a tribute to Neo when she turned 41 on Instagram back in 2022. Posting to her grid, she said: “I am extremely thankful, that kind of thankfulness that has you in tears.”
She continued, sharing her fears after her older brother’s passing: “When my brother died at 18 I was afraid of life, I was convinced I would not even make it to 18. Another year I get to be a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend and my circle of trust has increased in size but no intensity.”
Read more: Oti Mabuse addresses baby number two as sister Motsi urges: ‘Just do it and you’re done!’
Motsi appears on Strictly Saturday night (September 28) at 6.15pm. The results show follows on Sunday at 7.15pm on BBC One.
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