Oti Mabuse has delighted fans by revealing that she is expecting her first child with her husband Marius Iepure.
Sharing a series of gorgeous snaps on Instagram, the former Strictly professional said, “I can’t wait to see what our future will now look like as a family of three.”
Oti, 33, told her 665,000 followers that the couple were “finally ready and excited to share [their] wonderful news”.
She is sure to savour this precious time and prioritise her family, having opened up about her fertility struggles in the past, when she admitted that she and Marius had almost given up hope of having children.
“We had been trying for a while and decided to stop (it all just got too much) and just live life as us two, as nothing was happening,” she told her fans on Instagram. “We enjoyed each other’s company, dinners, concerts, parties, just simply removed all the pressure and here we are!”
And although the Dancing On Ice judge confesses that pregnancy is “scarier than swimming with sharks”, she says the journey has been worth it.
“Our ‘yes’ year is getting better and better and so is our little family,” she said. “It is the best news we could have ever asked for. We love our little bundle of joy so much already.
“It’s been a beautiful journey so far with close friends and family and nearly over, but we have learnt a lot along the way… Christmas is about to get even louder.”
As they announced the news, Oti donned a figure-hugging pink jumpsuit and showed off her blossoming baby bump alongside her professional dancer husband of nine years, who looked at her adoringly.
The star also celebrated with viewers during her ITV1 breakfast show. When she asked Marius, 40, to tell the audience more about himself, he took to the floor to show his best jive dance moves.
Oti then said, “Speaking of things that you didn’t know at home, we have a little something for all of you, we’ve been holding some good news. We’re having a baby!”
But the most touching moment came when she shared a video mash-up that included clips of her telling her husband she was pregnant.
The candid footage shows Marius’s smile as soon as he notices the test is positive, and goes on to show excited reactions from family and friends.
Oti captioned the video, “Breaking the news to family & friends.
“Living in a different country as a couple means you don’t have family around to break the news face to face.
“And most often friends became family. We are so extremely lucky with our group of friends. Disclaimer: this isn’t all of them, not enough video space.
“But we kept our circle really tight, full of positive energy, laughter and joy, because that first and second trimester can be super challenging. Really grateful.”
Oti’s sister Motsi Mabuse, a Strictly Come Dancing judge, was seen fighting back happy tears as she saw her sister’s baby bump.
Commenting on the couple’s post just moments after they shared it, she wrote, “Cried again." Other friends screamed over video calls, with one shouting, “Oh my God!”
Celebrities who led the way to send best wishes to the couple included Giovanna Fletcher,Ashley Banjo and Claudia Winkleman.
Dancing On Ice co-star Holly Willoughby wrote, “This is incredible news… so happy for you both… hugest love.”
Tess Daly said, “So happy for you!”, while Emma Willis wrote, “Yes, yes yes!! SO SO happy for you both.”
And, as Oti is set to become a mother for the first time, she will undoubtedly be supported throughout her journey by Marius, who she has described as “my rock, my anchor and my support”.
The South African star married Romanian Marius in 2014, after her sister Motsi unknowingly acted as matchmaker.
It appears that she suggested Marius as a dance partner for Oti when she moved from South Africa to Germany to become a professional dancer in 2012.
After sparking up a romance two years later in 2014 and winning dance competitions together, the couple’s passion quickly moved off the dance floor and into a relationship.
They were married that same year and in 2015 decided to relocate to London together. Marius has since appeared on Strictly, featuring in a 2017 group dance.
While the couple have yet to spill Oti’s official due date, the star confirmed she was in the early stages of pregnancy at the end of April and it looks like their bundle of joy is on its way soon.
And, as she prepares for motherhood, Oti will no doubt get in as much baby practise as possible by spending time with her four-year-old niece.
Motsi, 42, gave birth to her daughter with husband Evgenij Voznyuk in 2018, but has never publicly shared her child’s name and tends to keep her out of the spotlight.
However, that rule was broken recently in order to celebrate her aunt Oti’s first children’s book, Dance With Oti: The Bird Jive.
In an adorable Instagram video, the tot declared, “I love you.”
Congratulations, Oti and Marius.
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