Oti Mabuse Swaps London for Berkshire to Build a Better Life for Her Young Daughter

Professional dancer Oti Mabuse has revealed why she made the significant decision to leave London behind this year in favour of a quieter, greener life. Oti — best known for her champion-winning run on Strictly Come Dancing and now a presenter and judge across BBC and ITV — moved to Berkshire with her husband, fellow dancer Marius Lepure, and their baby girl.

The couple welcomed their daughter in November 2023, though the journey was far from easy. Oti has previously shared that she endured a 16-hour labour, and her little girl arrived two months premature, making the early months especially emotional and challenging (Source: BBC News).

Oti, who appears on The Wheel this weekend (November 15), has often spoken about the pressure professional dancers face around body image. She has described the “toxic relationship” many dancers develop with their bodies and how that has affected her own sense of worth throughout her career (Source: The Guardian). Now, as a new mother, she reminds herself daily:
“No, you are good. You are perfect. You have had a baby.”

She credits motherhood as the driving force behind her move away from London and into the Royal County of Berkshire.

Why Oti and Her Family Left London

Full name Otlile Mabuse, Oti moved west from London to Berkshire in spring 2025. In an interview with House Beautiful magazine in May, she explained that she and Marius made the decision purely with their daughter’s future in mind.

“Better schools, better environment, better hospitals,” she said. “Simple as that.”
(Source: House Beautiful)

The couple now live in a detached 18th-century home in a rural village near Reading — what Oti lovingly describes as “out in the sticks.” She says the house is “cute… and old. Really old.”

For Oti, their new home has become a sanctuary:
“It’s where I’m most relaxed, most myself, and where I make the most memories. It’s also a place where I’m frustrated, because every day there’s something to clean!”

Friends of the star told The Telegraph that the move echoes a wider trend among celebrities seeking calmer environments after starting families, especially after the pandemic highlighted lifestyle priorities (Source: The Telegraph).

Oti’s Flower Allergy: Why Their Home Is Filled With Candles Instead

One of the quirkiest challenges in Oti’s everyday life is her allergy to flowers, something she has mentioned in interviews and on social media. She once shared a video on Instagram of a beautiful bouquet her husband bought her during lockdown.

“I love them, I love them,” she said — before admitting she’s allergic and can’t touch them.

In a humorous anecdote shared with Express, Oti recalled how Marius once intercepted a bouquet from her 2018 Strictly partner Graeme Swann:
“Graeme came with a big bouquet saying: ‘Oti, I’m so excited for our journey.’ Out of nowhere Marius came in, took the whole bouquet and said: ‘She’s allergic to flowers.’”

Oti later joked on Loose Women that she found her husband’s protective moment “sexy”:
“It’s sexy when your man is threatening your dance partner. I love it. I’m like, that’s my man.”

Because of her allergy, Oti now receives candles instead of flowers — and she says the collection has taken over the house.

“They’re literally all over the house!” she told House Beautiful. But she doesn’t mind one bit:
“I like a warm house, and if it smells nice, that’s a bonus.”

According to décor experts quoted in The Independent, scented candles becoming a replacement for flowers is a growing trend among people with allergies — making Oti part of a much wider shift (Source: The Independent).