Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice star Oti Mabuse has launched an exciting new project.
Taking a step back from the dancefloor, Mabuse has joined publisher Simon & Schuster UK in a "dream" career move as she’s written her very own book.
Announcing the news on Friday (October 11), the professional dancer revealed her new novel Slow Burn will tell a fictional romance story inspired by the world of dance.
Related: Best streaming services 2024 — including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV+
Taking to Instagram to share the news with her followers, Mabuse shared a sneak peek at the book’s cover.
"I’m so excited to finally be able to share the news that I have a novel coming out," she wrote. "This has been a dream of mine!
What to Read Next
"I adore reading fiction romance novels and am thrilled that I’ve been given the opportunity to write my own."
The dance star went on to confirm Slow Burn is already available to pre-order and will be officially released on September 11, 2025.
"It’s going to be spicy, romantic and full of dance," the former Strictly star added, teasing the storyline.
Related: Strictly's Chris McCausland says he's "falling apart" as he falls ill during training
Simon & Schuster UK’s Adult Fiction Brand Development Director, Sara-Jade Virtue also shared her excitement for Mabuse’s upcoming romance novel.
"It is no exaggeration to say that bringing love stories created by Oti to the Romance space is an absolute career highlight," she enthused. "By being her authentic true self on our TV screens every week – a strong, relatable, smart, funny, passionate and inspirational woman - she won the hearts of the nation, including mine.
"Slow Burn is the perfect debut novel from Oti. It’s spicy, it’s romantic and it has a swoon-worthy HEA (happily ever after) that is going to blow your socks off!
"Filled with sexy, Black female characters, and hot scenes of sizzling, spicy passion, Oti has created characters that brim with heat and heart."
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Interested in talking about Strictly? Visit our dedicated sub-forum
News Editor, Digital Spy
Emma is an experienced entertainment news journalist with NCTJ accreditation and a First-Class Honours Degree in Journalism. Having started her career as a broadcast journalist, Emma’s voice has been heard on varying radio stations across the UK including Absolute, Magic, BBC Three Counties Radio, LBC London News and more.
Later specialising in multimedia entertainment news, Emma has brushed shoulders with numerous famous faces and interviewed the likes of Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Sir Michael Palin, Rick Astley, and too many soap stars to count. Having produced a range of engaging news content over the years for brands such as 7Digital’s Entertainment News, Yahoo, and Express Online, Emma eventually joined Digital Spy in 2022 as Deputy News Editor, becoming Acting News Editor in 2023 and then News Editor in 2024.
While she’s gained lots of praise during celebrity interviews throughout her career, the most memorable compliment Emma’s ever received was when a Game of Thrones star remarked "Your teeth are stunning!". LinkedIn
