Motsi Mabuse admits her weight has been a ‘constant struggle’

Motsi Mabuse has detailed how her weight has been ‘a constant struggle’ throughout her life and she’s become ‘more compassionate’ about her size.

Gracing the cover of Prima’s October issue, the Strictly Come Dancing judge, 41, detailed how she was once told to lose weight by a teacher when she weighed just 110lbs, but she’s learned ‘a healthy mind, body and soul’ is more important.

Motsi also detailed her ‘very scary’ experience growing up in apartheid in South Africa, admitted she faced vile racism which included being branded a ‘black witch’ by nuns at her school.

Motsi, who will return to the Strictly judging panel later this month, explained she’s always been pressured to remain slim as a professional dancer, but in recent years has learned to be more understanding of her size.

She said: ‘As a professional dancer, my weight was a constant struggle, too. There’s so much focus not just on winning, but what you weigh. 

‘A teacher once told me to lose weight when I was only 50 kilos! Naturally, my body has changed since then, and my weight goes up and down. 

Candid: Gracing the cover of Prima’s October issue, the Strictly Come Dancing judge detailed how she was once told to lose weight by a teacher

‘I’ll never get to the stage where I think I look great, but I’m now much more compassionate towards myself. A healthy mind, body and soul is more important to being thin.’

Motsi, who recently published her memoir titled Finding My Own Rhythm, went onto detail the horrific racism she endured as a young child when South Africa was still in the midst of apartheid.

She continued: ‘I lived under apartheid until the age of nine, which was a very scary time. 

‘My parents, Peter and Dudu, and my younger sisters, Phemelo and Oti, and I lived in a Black-only suburb, and I didn’t speak English when I first went to school, which was difficult. 

Sensational: She said: ‘I’ll never get to the stage where I think I look great, but I’m now much more compassionate towards myself’

‘We were sent to a Catholic school run by nuns and Black children were a minority. One of the nuns would call us ”Black witches” and hit us. I was terrified.’

Reflecting on how she became a dancer, Motsi said: ‘When I was around six, my mother started offering Jane Fonda-type workout classes to women in our township – she was a real pioneer. 

‘She’s always been a doer and a maker – there’s nothing she can’t do. She later set up a dance school for children and although my father wanted me to be a lawyer, like him, I started training, eventually dedicating every spare minute to it. 

‘I loved the freedom it gave me, and being able to express myself through my body.’

‘When you’re a judge on Strictly, you only get to show a percentage of who you are. That’s why I wanted to write my memoir. 

‘I love the glitz and glamour of the show, but that’s just a small part of who I am. Nobody has seen me grow or witnessed my struggles, so I wanted to tell people about my background and show them the real me.’ 

Vile: Motsi also detailed her ‘very scary’ experience growing up in apartheid in South Africa, admitted she faced vile racism which included being branded a ‘black witch’ at her school

Motsi also admitted she’ll be ‘sad’ that her sister Oti won’t be appearing on this year’s Strictly, after she announced earlier this year that she’d be leaving the show.

She said: ‘I’ll be sad not to see her on Strictly this year. I’ll always worry about my sister, but I have to respect her decision and let her go. 

‘She’s proven that she can more than protect herself and push herself to new heights. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to fly the Mabuse flag on Strictly for as long as they want me.’

Out soon: Read the full interview in Prima’s October issue, on sale on 8 September

Despite her glamorous appearances on Strictly, with sequins and gorgeous gowns galore, Motsi revealed her day-to-day life is far more relaxed, living in the forest in Germany where she spends her days exercising and caring for her daughter.

She explained: ‘During Strictly season, I commute between Germany and the UK. From Monday to Friday, I lead a totally different life. 

‘I live in the forest; I take my child to playgroup in my pyjamas; I work out, sleep – and no one gives a damn about me! Then, on Friday and Saturday, I glam it up, before returning to my ”real” life.’

And despite her own history in the dance world, Motsi confessed she doesn’t want her daughter to follow in her footsteps.

She continued: ‘I don’t want my daughter to follow in my dance footsteps! I want to keep her away from all that. Obviously, I want her to be proud of the things I’ve done, but if she said she wanted to go into showbusiness, I’d probably lock her up!’

Motsi will join Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke returning to the Strictly judging panel, after Bruno Tonioli confirmed that he had permenantly left the show.

Read the full interview in Prima’s October issue, on sale on 8 September. It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect.

They’re back! Motsi will join Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke returning to the Strictly judging panel later this month