has opened up about the racism she and her sister faced growing up under apartheid in South Africa.
The judge, 41, revealed the horrific racism she and her family faced, telling : ‘I lived under apartheid until the age of nine, which was a very scary time.
‘My parents, Peter and Dudu, and my younger sisters, Phemelo and Oti, and I lived in a Black-only suburb, and I didn’t speak English when I first went to school, which was difficult.
‘We were sent to a Catholic school run by nuns and Black children were a minority. One of the nuns would call us “Black witches” and hit us. I was terrified.’
Motsi has written her memoir, Finding My Own Rhythm, in which she wanted to show people the other side of her life was not always as glitzy as what is shown on Strictly.
She explained: ‘When you’re a judge on Strictly, you only get to show a percentage of who you are. That’s why I wanted to write my memoir.
‘I love the glitz and glamour of the show, but that’s just a small part of who I am. Nobody has seen me grow or witnessed my struggles, so I wanted to tell people about my background and show them the real me.’
Motsi began dancing at the age of six, making it her career as a competitor and teacher in her own dance school in Germany before joining the BBC show.
Her sister Oti, 32, had also been a professional dancer on Strictly until recently leaving to pursue other ventures.
Motsi admitted that it will be difficult not seeing her sister dance on the next series, adding: ‘I’ll be sad not to see her on Strictly this year. I’ll always worry about my sister, but I have to respect her decision and let her go.
‘She’s proven that she can more than protect herself and push herself to new heights. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to fly the Mabuse flag on Strictly for as long as they want me.’
The is on sale from September 8. Motsi Mabuse’s book, Finding My Own Rhythm is out on September 8.
