BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Oti Mabuse praised for response to 'snapping back' comments after daughter's birth

Oti Mabuse has been praised for her response to the pressures around 'snapping back' after giving birth. The dancer and TV star welcomed her first child into the world last year.

Oti and her husband Marius Lepure confirmed they had become first-time parents on Christmas Day 2023 by taking to Instagram with an adorable photo in which they wore matching festive pyjamas as they gazed lovingly at their baby girl alongside their beloved pet dog, Leo.

It wasn't until later that told how their daughter, whose name hasn't been shared publicly, had actually been born prematurely in October, two months earlier than expected, with Oti recently sharing how her waters broke in the middle of the street while out shopping.

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Oti has now opened up to matchmaker and certified life coach Paul Carrick Brunson, alongside Marius, on the latest episode of his podcast, We Need To Talk about the pregnancy and what followed after their little girl's arrival into the world.

Oti was also heard slamming the pressure that new mums are under to "snap back" to their pre-pregnancy bodies. "As a woman, we get from society a lot this word or phrase of 'snapping back' body wise. That's not - you don't need to snap back! Or they say 'to feel like yourself again'.

"You do not need to feel like the old version of you because the new version right now is f**king brilliant. This version of me, the body body that I have now has provided me with this beautiful human being and the personality that I am now, the way that I have to be there for my husband, be a wife, be a mom, be a sister, be a friend - the new version of me is perfect."

Oti also shared in the podcast: "I’m only now on my ‘Let’s get healthy train’ and it took about nine, eight months for me to get there. You see a lot of people - models, actresses - that I feel are even thinner than what they were when they had babies. It’s almost like they want to erase that time of ‘I was big, I was swollen, my body was providing for a human being’. I [didn’t] want to put myself under that pressure."

And the comments section of the clip posted by Paul on social media was quickly flooded with praise and support for Oti. @itsallaboutneve said: "I love this, I feel so lucky to be this new person since I had my daughter. Well said!" @shortfilmsunday commented: "Yes, Queen. Speak those words. You are f**king brilliant! And so loved & admired for it."

@jobax80s replied: "Didn’t think I could love Oti anymore but I do now. This is what all new mums need to hear." @gemmadoar posted: "Fabulous episode, what an amazing couple." @vita_simp wrote: "Oti, you’re brilliant. Sing it loud and proud." @thetimeoutmuse shared: "Beautifully said. The pep talk I needed at the time but know now." @lucy.langhorn added: "Wow that is so perfectly said."