Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse has opened up about the heartbreaking rejection she faced at the start of her career.
The TV star, who turns 40 today, joined the panel of the BBC dancing show for its seventeenth series in 2019.
The South African dancer offers advice to the celebrities and their professional partners alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli and head judge Shirley Ballas.
She’s won over a legion of fans since joining the Strictly family but she’s hasn’t always felt the support from those around her.
Motsi took to her Instagram page earlier this year to detail the moment her “heart broke” after a colleague refused to be interviewed with her during red carpet event with her sister, Oti Mabuse.
(Image: BBC)
She penned: “A few years ago at [the] beginning of my career, I was invited to an event and decided to make it a sister’s weekend with @otimabuse.
“While we were queuing for the red carpet we were asked for an interview with a colleague who refused to do the interview with me! I didn’t even ask why.
“It’s not the point, but the feeling of being rejected like that is what I remember!”
She continued: “Was I bitter?? For a minute or two yes! Was I hurt? Yes for sure. Who doesn’t feel a part of their heart break at rejection.”
(Image: Internet Unknown)
The mother of one, who is married to her dance partner Evgenoj Voznyuk, went on to share some words of encouragement after sharing her story of personal rejection.
Motsi wrote: “Everyone at some point in life has faced rejection and failure, it is part of the process to self-realization. Learn to accept rejections.
“If you live for people’s acceptance, you will die from their rejection. Trust me, the most powerful motivation is rejection. Some people are going to reject you simply because you shine too bright for them. That’s okay, keep shining!
“This is a true story, you can ask my sister!! Let’s keep going!!!”
Oti, Strictly champion and Motsi’s sister, has previously revealed that he didn’t speak to her sister for three months.
The siblings video cut any private contact with each other to shut down any accusations of cheating.
“We were very professional and, to be fair to everyone else, it needed to be,” the 30-year-old, who won the show with Bill Bailey last year, previously told The Sun.
“I only really saw her on the show day on Saturdays when she was critiquing.”
Oti also admitted that she didn’t even know her sister had bagged Dame Darcey Bussell’s empty seat on the judging panel until the BBC announced it in July 2019.
She added: “I only found out on the day Motsi was announced, as production don’t tell me anything.
“They do what they do and they did what was best for the show. Other than that I have no control.
“I know how amazing she is and to see her in that capacity, I was proud of her.
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Motsi resides in Germany and has appeared on Let’s Dance, the German version of Strictly Come Dancing.
In 2016 she made her debut as an actress at the 66th Bad Hersfelder Festspiele in The Crucible directed by Dieter Wedel.
The same year she was a jury member of the RTL II plus-size model casting show Curvy Supermodel – Real. Nice. Curvy.
She also became the presenter of styling show Who Makes Me Beautiful on RTLplus in 2018.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
