SHE'LL BE THE JUDGE: 'I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GOOSE BUMPS'

EX-STRICTLY DANCER OTI MABUSE RETURNS TO THE DO! JUDGING PANEL AND CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH THIS YEAR’S COOL CONTENDERS

No longer the newbie, Oti Mabuse has her dancing feet firmly back under the table for her second series as a judge on Dancing On Ice. And the former Strictly Come Dancing professional is feeling very comfortable in her new role.

“I have a heater, a hot water bottle and I don’t wear my shoes,” says Oti, revealing her behind-the-scenes secrets. “People see me walking and they see the shoes but as soon as we go to an ad break, I’m in my slippers.

“I wear my dressing gown and if I don’t wear a dressing gown, I’ll wear my joggers. Sometimes the dresses aren’t comfortable to sit in so I scoop them up and I’ll wear my joggers, so that’s why you don’t see me standing!”

It’s this down-to-earth personality along with her positive energy and warmth that has endeared Oti to the nation following her seven years on Strictly, the show that launched her to superstardom. She was the only person ever to win two years in a row before she made the shock decision to quit at the height of her fame for new ventures early last year.

The 32-year-old made the leap from a ballroom floor dancer to a top-table judge by taking over from 55-year-old John Barrowman on the ITV1 skating show last season. After impressing fans, she was snapped up again by show bosses alongside ice royalty Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and Ashley Banjo, which she says has been a “privilege”.