Welcome to Screen Sisters, a collection of conversations about what it means to be a woman working in television both in front of and behind the camera.
As well as recognising their contribution to the industry, the series will also examine the highs and lows of working in media, how far television has progressed, and how much further it still has to go.
Next up, we're speaking to The Masked Dancer judge and two-time Strictly Come Dancing champion, Oti Mabuse.
If there's one word to describe Oti Mabuse's career trajectory, it would be "unique". Raised alongside her two sisters Motsi and Phemelo in South Africa, she has since travelled the world as a championship dancer, before relocating to Europe and becoming a TV personality as a professional dancer on Germany's Let's Dance before the BBC's flagship series, Strictly Come Dancing.
In February 2022, shortly after a stint as a judge on ITV's Dancing On Ice, Oti announced she would be leaving Strictly after seven years and two consecutive glitterball wins. Now, she's carving a career away from the ensemble cast and becoming a standout all on her own.
Throughout all of this, by Oti's own admission, she was lucky to have a series of women championing her the entire way, defining not only herself and her self-esteem, but also her workplace environments and work ethics. In a world that is often so male-dominated, Oti has found herself in a uniquely female-dominated one – starting with dance (where men are often rare commodities for their female counterparts in need of a partner) and now to female-led and produced series including the upcoming The Masked Dancer, where she teams up with Davina McCall.
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The bond between Oti and Davina is obvious at the launch of ITV's Entertainment schedule, with the pair holding hands while sitting next to each other on stage as they discuss their 3.30am gossip sessions trying to figure out the identities of the latest stars lined up to take on the bonkers and beloved series. It's also clear when she sits down with us to talk Screen Sisters and those who have aided her career.
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Oti celebrates the women in her life, the importance of lifting others up, and the responsibilities she feels as a woman in the spotlight.
Starting with your career as a dancer, what was it like being in such a female dominated field?
Life as a dancer... I think dancing is one of the things that really empower women for their femininity, and I think as a woman we celebrate it, especially if I think of dancing, not on television, just competitions.
It's all about really being a strong woman and I guess it helps you with life situations as well, because you become so aware of your body, aware of how to move it, and it's a good thing to be really, really yourself and feminine and to play that role.
When we're dancing, you get cheeky cha-chas, you get sexy rumbas, so you're able to move your body. For me growing up I had a lot of female influences as well that I used to look up to, and so it always felt empowering to be a woman as a female dancer.
When you then moved over to TV, did you feel a shift to a more masculine one?
No, Strictly is majority female-led – the producers, the commissioners, the head of entertainment... behind the camera, the director’s a woman, there's more female choreographers now, the female pros, we have two female judges... the audience and the fans, lots of women.
So Strictly for me – actually any show I work on if I think about it, ITV has Katie Rawcliffe – I always felt that we needed to celebrate each other, and that's what you get when you're working. Especially on Strictly, it's very much a sisterhood. So I didn't feel that when I moved into television, it really just felt like there were a lot of women around me who had to fight to get to where they are, and now they're empowering the next generation.
But I moved on to the bigger show, that was my first job in this country. It's a lot of women! If you come backstage of Strictly, hair make-up, costume design, there's a lot of women and it's a good thing.
That's kind of amazing to have such a female led career unintentionally, especially in the entertainment industry.
Yeah. I mean I just did a tour now, and coming from the tour, the career that I have today – not just Strictly, The Greatest Dancer, Dancing On Ice, The Masked Dancer... my career is what it is because of the women that have been around me. And I'm really lucky in that I've had strong women around me from the start, like my PR and agent. And that's always felt great.
Were there any particular women that you feel were quite formative in shaping your career?
Besides family, because my family are very much forming of me, I would say Sarah James, a executive producer of Strictly, because when she came in, things started to change and that's who I won my first show with.
You can say family if you want!
My mum and my sisters, obviously – they're involved in everything that I do. They are number one. Always at the top, and I would say a lot of producers were helping. Sarah was one of them that really helped. Clodagh [O'Donoghue, executive producer] from Dancing On Ice, who gave me my first big, big, big show. Steph McGovern, who gave me my first ever presenting job on live television.
I've had some incredible women and I really am grateful I get to spend time with them. Davina [McCall] or Holly [Willoughby], Alex Scott, Alex Jones. You see how important it is that we stick together but you hear the conversations and hear the right conversation about girl empowerment and we're just always complimenting each other, always supporting each other. It's really nice to see.
Was there anything that you found surprising or particularly difficult in your career, like was there any sort of phase or anything you sort of find yourself struggling with?
I think for me it was the body confidence thing. Because, obviously being in South Africa, women look completely different than what European women look like, and what is normal – curvy women showing them off, being extra-extra sensual – here is different. So here people go, 'Oh, you have to look a certain way'.
The women look a certain way, and so that was [difficult] to get used to. Body types, different body types in the beginning, that was something that I had to learn. But nothing really really bad that would make me go 'Oh I'm done there'. Everything for me, especially because I was moving in to a new continent into different countries as well in Europe was a learning curve and me trying to integrate and understand how people see things.
There’s been discussions before about how sometimes on set there’s trouble with hair stylists not knowing how to deal with Afro-centric hair. Have you ever had that problem?
I've been one of those women actually who, I always thought that my hair was something that represented a lot of people that you don't see on TV. I've got like African, curly, and when I mean African curl I mean really tight! And I was granted the opportunity to be able to change it up whenever I want.
Whether Monday I was gonna have a blonde wig, Tuesday I would have dreads, Wednesday I have braids. And I think it was about [stylists] also learning that you know, it takes longer to braid our hair, so you do have to get called in earlier, how to lace a wig.
The techniques are changing, but it was always an environment that was built with people who wanted to learn and get it right, not just for me, but for other people who are going to come on to the show. Then when I did more personal stuff, it was just really nice finding stylists, well-known stylists.
The shows that I've been working on, they love it when I change my hair. They love it. On Dancing On Ice I had this sort of long purple wig and they were like 'Yessss!' I would say it was tough for people to understand why it's important for us to show our hair, have it in dreads or straight or plaited, but people were willing to learn.
It does make a big difference. I did one of Mo [Gilligan's] shows and they look completely different, the fact when you do Big Breakfast, when you do any of Mo Gilligan's shows really, they're really proudly Black and majority Black and you do see the difference. But I mean, people wouldn't win the awards that they win if they didn't know how to do all types of hair. There is a feeling that you get but I think with me it wasn't a situation, they got people in to do my hair.
Moving on to The Masked Dancer, this has been such a big year for you. Saying goodbye to Strictly must have been a really tough decision, and now you're hosting shows, like Romeo and Duet. What was it like sort of taking that step from being part of an ensemble cast to standing out on your own?
Oh, God am I? [laughs] I think it's just a natural progression, and life is about growing and we all grow individually. Nobody can stay on the show forever. For me, I think it's really exciting, and I always say this because I haven't lived in this country that long, but there's still more for me to learn and that journey for me is something that I look forward to.
All the learning, the ups, the downs, the getting to know people, getting to really, really see who they are off-camera as well. That whole world is really exciting to me. So that's how it feels – exciting for the future.
Is there anything you feel needs to be improved within the industry for women?
Oh, my gosh, where do we start? There's a lot. There's a lot that still needs to be improved, obviously. There's the gender pay gap, there's more female representation on screen, but there's still a lot. But I think what's important is that we keep fighting for it and we keep striving for it and everybody's aware of it. And we keep trying to make it better.
Does the gender pay gap surprise you that much?
It surprised me because you know, you grow up thinking and told that your skill is what's important. Your skills and it shouldn't matter what gender I am if I'm qualified for the job, and you should be paid that way. I've never had a male boss before, it's always been women. Strong women as well.
During Strictly, there was chat around potential favouritism when Motsi joined, do you think that’s fair and how did you overcome that?
No, because we've done it before in Germany. So we know what it's about. We also understand very much that the show is about the celeb and the celeb is number one, but also we wanted to both do a good job.
She's an International World Champion and I am in my own right. We let our skills do the talking and that was always hopefully in the forefront. I had a job, I did Dancing On Ice with Holly, and we speak about it.
It happens, which is a shame, but I think we're getting to a place now where women within the industry find power in working together, in that sisterhood, in coming together to show other young girls that we can support each other and it's a good thing.
Women empowering women and raising each other – it's beautiful to support. Some of my friends get shows and it's so amazing to see them growing, and for me it makes me happy to know that they're growing and they are happy.
Their joy makes me happy. And when they congratulate you as well for stuff and it's really nice. I think we're getting to a place where now we're working together. I adore Davina. ADORE her, doing her exercises and I love working with her and I'm learning a lot as well from her.
What do you reckon is the biggest thing you've learned from your co-stars?
Number one thing – Davina is the most politest woman you will ever meet. She gets on to that set and she pays everybody the respect and the time. And when I mean everyone I mean cameraman number 77, lighting guy number 18.
She takes the time for everyone and really is kind in that way. 'How are you? How's your wife? How's your children?' and she remembers their names, and she's genuine. To see that with someone who's so massive – she's a superstar, she's Davina! – and to see that she's still so humble, for me, someone who feels like they're starting, it's a good lesson.
Stay humble. It's good to care about the people that are around you because you're both human. That is a beautiful thing and that's one thing that I learned. Studio etiquette and treating people with love and respect.
Just to learn that and you walk around with her, she introduces you to people. Now when I go to an event, I know the camera guy, I know the light guy, I know the sound guy because I've seen her and how she treats people around her. That is from Davina. Just how to treat the people around her. Holly's the same.
Where do you want to go next? If I was a commissioner person and said 'I can do anything for you right now', what would you pick?
Probably documentaries, particularly about women in different situations, different cultures, different countries, different languages, different beliefs, religious beliefs. Just going around the world and seeing how different women survive. Survival skills that they use to survive within their environment. That's something I'd love to do in the future.
Also a lot of things – of course musicals, choreographing, writing, producing... everything! TV, theatre, yeah.
The Masked Dancer returns Saturday 3rd September at 6.30pm on ITV.
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Freelance writer, Digital Spy
Tilly is Gold-Standard NCTJ accredited journalist with eight years of experience in entertainment journalism.
She has been heard giving her insight on the latest TV stories on BBC Radio across the country and on BBC News.
Previously working with The Sun Online, Yahoo, Metro.co.uk and Independent IE amongst others, she joined the Digital Spy team from 2021-2023 as Deputy TV Editor (Maternity cover).
With a speciality in TV drama and true crime, Tilly has been praised for her exclusive content with A-list stars ranging from Sir David Attenborough to the lawyers behind Making A Murderer.
She’s happy to report her mum now takes her seriously as a journalist as she got to interview George Clooney once.
