Who Is Motsi Mabuse? The Dancer and TV Judge Explained

Who is Motsi Mabuse?

Motsi Mabuse, whose full name is Motshegetsi Mabuse, is a South African dancer who is based in Germany. She became familiar to German television viewers through Let’s Dance, first as a contestant and later as a judge. She is also known to British audiences as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing. ¹

Mabuse was born in what is now South Africa’s North West Province. Her family moved to Pretoria when she was five, and she developed an interest in dance while growing up there. Although she was expected to pursue law, she changed direction while studying at the University of Pretoria. ¹

How did she move from dancing to television?

Mabuse began in competitive dance. She was runner-up in South Africa’s national championships in 1998. The next year, she met German dancer Timo Kulczak at a dance competition in Blackpool. They later competed internationally and made their home in Germany. ¹

Her television career grew from performing rather than judging. Mabuse appeared as a professional dancer on Germany’s Let’s Dance, including its second season in 2007. After further competition appearances, she joined the show’s judging panel in 2011. ¹

In 2019, the BBC announced Mabuse as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, replacing Darcey Bussell. She has appeared on the programme since its seventeenth series. ¹

What does a dance-show judge do?

On a televised dance competition, judges assess performances and share their views with viewers and contestants. Their role is different from that of a professional dancer, who performs with a celebrity contestant and helps prepare routines. Mabuse has done both kinds of work: she competed as a dancer and later joined judging panels. ¹

That background helps explain why she is known across more than one country’s television. Let’s Dance is a German programme, while Strictly Come Dancing is its British counterpart. Her career connects competitive dance with entertainment television, rather than being limited to one show or one role. ¹

What is her life outside the judging panel?

Mabuse and her husband, Evgenij Voznyuk, run a dance school together in Germany. Voznyuk is also a dancer; Mabuse competed with him in a German Latin dance contest in 2013. They have a daughter, born in 2018. ¹

Her sister, Oti Mabuse, is also a dancer and appeared as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing from 2015 to 2021. ¹ For an ordinary viewer, the main point is that Motsi Mabuse is not simply a familiar face on a judging panel: her television work follows years of competitive dance and professional performance.

The available reference describes her career and personal background but does not establish why people may be searching for her now. It also may not reflect changes after it was written. Readers looking for current programme details should check the official Strictly Come Dancing or Let’s Dance sources.