Oti Mabuse has candidly shared the reasons behind her decision to leave Strictly Come Dancing, revealing that "it was time to move on" from the hit BBC series.
The 34-year-old dancer, who recently took on a new television role, joined the Loose Women panel for the first time on Wednesday (April 9) afternoon.
Alongside Ruth Langsford, Denise Welsh, and Jayne Moore, Oti weighed in on the day's hot topics.
Ruth Langsford welcomed the new addition to the show, saying: "Welcome to your Wednesday's Loose Women. We have got an exciting new panellist filling in that empty seat today."
She introduced Oti with warm words: "She is our favourite dance champagne, she is a judge, a mum, and she's Jayne's fellow jungle buddy. Please welcome Oti Mabuse," reports Edinburgh Live.
During her debut, it didn't take long for the conversation to turn to her departure from Strictly, with her co-stars eager to delve into the topic.
Ruth expressed her surprise at Oti's exit from the dance competition: "Oti I personally was surprised when you left Strictly because you just are Strictly. You've been there so long and you won it twice, in two consecutive years. You were right up there."
Curious, she asked Oti directly: "So why did you leave?" Oti responded by expressing her affection for the show: "It is the most wonderful show, and it was 10 years ago when I left South Africa and Germany to be on Strictly, but I am still very close with the producers and dancers."
The former professional dancer shared her reasons for leaving, saying: "For me, it was time to move on, and I'm lucky because the show kind of trampolined me or jump-started many other goals and opportunities for me, but I wanted to explore other opportunities, and I wanted to have a family.
"I remember going to see the Loose Women tour and you were all talking about your many experiences and I've never done anything with my life but dance. I grew up in a very strict household so I never travelled and I never met different types of people."
Reflecting on her decision, she added: "I never had life experience, and I thought I could do this show and do the same thing again for 20 years and still be happy because I wasn't unhappy or I could fail but fail knowing that I had life experience and that for me was the reason."
When Jayne asked her if she still watched Strictly, Oti revealed her continued connection to the show: "I'm at the back with the crew and under the stage having a gin and tonic."
She further commented on her ongoing involvement: "I'm still very much involved in the back of the show because Strictly for me will always be a part of me. It is my family in the UK, but it was time for me to move on."
Oti announced her departure from Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 after an impressive seven years of dazzling audiences with her dance skills.
