Former Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse has admitted that the professional dancers often advise their celebrity partners to ignore the judges' feedback.
The esteemed winner of two Glitterball trophies emphasised that the central aim is to concentrate on advancing week by week in partnership training, rather than dwelling on critiques from Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse - who happens to be Oti's sister - Shirley Ballas, and Anton Du Beke.
In conversation with comedian Mo Gilligan on his Beginning Middle End podcast, the 34 year old shared: "With the judges, I know a lot of the professionals say, 'We're listening, but we're not taking it in.'".
"The goal is not what the judges think, the goal is what the celebs think."
Serving now as a judge on Dancing on Ice, Oti also mentioned that triumph on Strictly entails the professional and their celebrity partner maintaining their focus on improving each dance throughout their journey.
Her advice centres around protecting her celebrities: "You really care about your partners and want to protect them, so I'm like, 'Look [the judges] are going to have their opinion, I just need you to focus on our journey.'".
Oti, who departed Strictly in 2022 after seven series, teased the possibility of her return to the dance floor in the future.
While speaking to Prima magazine for their June issue, she reflected: "When I look back on Strictly, I think the whole seven-year journey was amazing. I still work on the show. I still do choreography, I'm still talking to the producers.
"I say that the show brought me everything, like me sitting here today, and the relationship still very much continues.
"There were ups, there were downs; if you can imagine being the first Black anything, anywhere, there will always be ups and downs.
"Everyone asks me [if I'd return to Strictly]. I think right now, with a daughter and everything I'm doing, I'm quite busy, and I'm happy with what I'm doing at the minute. But never say never.
"The doors are always open, which is really, really nice. Aljaž [Škorjanec] went back and he's doing really well.
"I went back to choreograph with him and he's just in a different space. He's absolutely sensational. So, you never know."
