Strictly's Oti Mabuse welcomes first child with husband Marius Iepure

Oti Mabuse and husband Marius Iepure have announced they have welcomed their first child together.

Taking to social media to share the happy news, the former Strictly Come Dancing star said: "Merry Christmas Wishing you all a wonderful festive season 🙏🏾💕 and special memories with loved ones." Oti and her husband were seen rocking matching Christmas pyjamas as they gazed lovingly at their new bundle of joy.

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A Christmas tree was seen in the background while their pet dog also took pride of place in the sweet family photograph. The couple have yet to reveal the name or the sex of the baby, no doubt wanting to experience their first Christmas in the newborn bubble.

Former Strictly dancer James Jordan penned: "What a perfect Christmas for all of you - sending love from the Jordans", while presenters Clara Amfos and Helen Skelton added heart emojis.

Fans chimed in with: "What a wonderful Christmas present!" and, "What a merry Christmas indeed. Congratulations."

The new addition is the first child for the lovebirds, who have been married since 2014.

Oti - who rose to fame after her stint as a professional dancer on Strictly - left the BBC ballroom show in February 2022 after seven years. She is the only professional to have won the series in two consecutive years - in 2019 with Kelvin Fletcher and a year later with Bill Bailey. Shortly after leaving Strictly, Oti became a judge on rival show Dancing on Ice. 

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When did Oti announce her pregnancy?

The former two-time Strictly champion took to Instagram on 26 August to announce their baby joy in a heartfelt post, which read: "Our 'yes' year is getting better and better and so is our little family We feel finally ready and excited to share our wonderful news. This is new for us scarier than swimming with sharks, jumping off cliffs or even swinging from bridges but the best news we could have ever ask for. 

"We love our little bundle of joy so much already… and can't wait to see what our future will now look like as family of 3 plus Leo it’s been a beautiful journey so far with close friends and family and nearly over but we have learnt a lot a long the way…. Christmas is about to get even louder #babyontheway #firstborn #bundleofjoy." 

What has Oti said about pregnancy?

Shortly after sharing her pregnancy with the world, Oti took to Instagram to reveal she had to take an extended break from dancing early on in her pregnancy due to the nausea. "I actually do enjoy working out lately again," she told fans. "In the beginning, it was the one thing along with dancing that would cause my nausea so I stayed away for the longest of time.

"This obviously was a huge adjustment for my body, mental health and stamina and came with another huge but beautiful life lesson. I am creating a human being and whatever my body needs I should listen to it. But now that I can walk, run [and] lift weights again… I'm excited to get active again." 

Oti and Marius' love story revealed

Oti and her husband Marius, who is also a professional dancer, tied the knot in 2014 after meeting during a dance trial in Germany. 

Opening up about her relationship with her spouse in March 2022, Oti revealed that Marius, 41, has always been a great support to her. "Marius was my first dance partner in Germany and he took me in, took care of me," she explained to Daily Mail's You magazine.

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"He's been my rock, my anchor and my support. Every time I thought I couldn't do something, he was the one who was like: 'Get up. You absolutely can.'" 

They married when Oti was 23 years old. In a previous interview with The Sun's Fabulous magazine, the pro dancer touched upon marrying at such a young age. "Honestly, I do feel like I was a baby [thinking back on getting married so young], but being married to this beautiful man, I've learned so much," she said. 

"He's taught me how to be patient and caring. And there’s nothing about that which makes me think I was too young. It happened at the perfect time." 

DISCOVER: Oti Mabuse's two destination weddings were nothing like sister Motsi's – details 

The TV star went on to speak about how compatible she is with her husband, remarking: “My husband is the most relaxed human being on earth, and he calms the crazy in me. He understands my mentality. He understands the competitive side and pushes me, but he knows the real me at home, too."