Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse made some serious lifestyle changes following a warning from her doctor. Mabuse, 45, has served as a judge on the BBC dance competition since replacing Darcey Bussell on the 17th series in 2019. In an interview with Women’s Health, the dancer recalled being warned about her long-term health after a full-body check-up found high cortisol levels and inflammation.
The tests also concluded she was at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, in which the body does make insulin but the cells do not use it well. By comparison, Type 1 Diabetes is a lifelong autoimmune condition in which the body attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The South African-born dancer said that after receiving the health update, she turned to her younger sister Phemelo for help.
Gradually, the daily walks became a habit and Mabuse started adding in solo strength training sessions with her personal trainer Dirk Berresheim, which include 60 minutes of incline walking. New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. Of all the fitness progress that she has made over the past 18 months, Mabuse said she considers her walking fitness to be one of her biggest triumphs. Last year, the dancer said she embarked on a strict exercise regime and an “overhaul” of her diet in order to lose weight without using “fat jabs” such as Ozempic.
She will return to screens next month alongside fellow judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, and Anton DuBeke for the 24th series of the BBC dancing competition. Last week, the celebrity line-up was finally confirmed with Gavin & Stacey star Melanie Walters announced as the 15th contestant. The actor, best known as Gwen in the BBC sitcom, will be joined by others including EastEnders actor Lacey Turner, singer Delta Goodrem, TV personality Dani Dyer, actor Jaime Winstone and footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips.
See the full line-up here. Strictly is undergoing some huge changes ahead of its 2026 run, with three new hosts replacing outgoing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe are the trio who’ll be leading proceedings when the series returns to screens next month.
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