I’m a Celebrity: Ex-Strictly star Oti Mabuse defends leaving baby daughter to do ITV series

‘My daughter won’t remember it,’ the professional dancer said

Oti Mabuse has defended her decision to join I’m a Celebrity one year after the birth of her daughter.

The former Strictly Come Dancing star’s baby was “very premature” and spent six weeks in a neonatal intensive care unit. Mabuse was also diagnosed with sepsis following the birth.

Mabuse will be entering the jungle alongside other famous faces, including TV personality Coleen Rooney and McFly singer Danny Jones. You can see the full I’m A Celeb line-up here.

Of her decision to fly to Australia, Mabuse told The Mirror she would “never get another opportunity” to do the show as she wants to focus on other job opportunities and growing her family in the future.

Mabuse added she wanted her daughter to know that she is “fully committed and loves her so much” but also has career ambitions and will “do what she wants to do”.

“Mum has goals too,” she said. “And when she grows up, she’ll Google me and she’ll probably see it and be like ‘Yeah, my mum did that.’”

Mabuse welcomed her daughter with her husband Marius Iepure, who she met in Germany in 2012 when they were paired together as professional dancers. They married in Denmark two years later.

Oti Mabuse has defended her decision to join the ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here’ line up (ITV)

The Dancing on Ice judge explained how she trusts Iepure entirely to take care of their baby while she’s in the jungle. “My daughter won’t remember it. It’s just a couple of days,” she said. “She’s with a lot of family and she’s with my husband who is amazing, and she’s in more than capable hands.

“He knows everything about her,” she added of Iepure’s bond with their daughter. “I don’t even have to think about having to trust, or not trust, or worry. I know he’s a capable father and he’s brilliant.”

The professional dancer’s daughter will be too young to come into camp when she leaves. However, Mabuse’s family will fly to Australia for the “magical moment” when they’re reunited on the drawbridge. 

Mabuse welcomed her daughter with her husband Marius Iepure last year (Oti Mabuse/PA)

Mabuse has long been one of I’m A Celeb’s most wanted campmates, with producers asking her to join the show for the past six years. “This was the year for me to do it and it just felt right,” she said.

Speaking about what she thinks her role would be ahead of her arrival in Australia, she said she will be the “fun dancing mum” and hopes to teach her fellow campmates some new moves.

The dancer said she signed up for the show because she wants to get back to her “adventurous and fun” self after giving birth to her daughter.

Mabuse has said she’s looking forward to getting back to her ‘adventurous and fun’ self after giving birth (Ian West/PA)

“I want to get back to the adventurous and fun Oti. I feel ready for a change and doing something completely different,” she said. “I will have no make-up, concealer, lashes – it’s going to be nice to be laid back.”

She added: “As a new mum, I am going to use it to my advantage. I am going to catch up on a whole year’s sleep!”

I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! will air at 9pm on ITV1 from 17 November.