When Motsi Mabuse started working in TV almost 20 years ago, she decided to reward herself with her dream handbag. Unfortunately, the classic Chanel design she wanted was too expensive. As she worked her way up from being a professional dancer on German TV to becoming one of the judges on Strictly Come Dancing, the bag continued to elude her – but the star recently made her wish come true after delving into the second-hand market for the first time.
"I found a vintage one and bought it – and because it was second-hand, I didn’t feel as bad about spending the money," she tells us.
Now, the South African-born presenter, who is based in Germany, wants everyone to follow her lead as she hosts a new show on Prime Video called Live Better for Less. The programme, created with the second-hand marketplace app Vinted, helps people to shop in a smarter way and sell things they don’t need. It has inspired Motsi, who worked with one couple on the show to change their spending habits so they could make savings, to look closely at the contents of the house she shares with her husband and former dance partner, Evgenij Voznyuk, and their eight-year-old daughter.
© Gisela Schober, Getty"We have so much stuff and it’s so hard to keep it tidy and organised," she says. "Every cupboard that's filled with something we don't need feels stressful. But after I got rid of lots of our stuff, I felt so much better; it felt as though I was clearing out emotionally."
The new Strictly team
Motsi, 45, won the nation’s hearts when she made her debut as a judge on Strictly in 2019. She recently returned for an eighth year and has been delighted to welcome the show’s new hosts: the presenter Emma Willis, the comedian Josh Widdicombe and the former professional dancer Johannes Radebe. "I’ve known Johannes for so long and I'm so happy for him," she says.
"It's a beautiful story and he'll do a great job. I've been in a few shows with Josh and he's the funniest person ever. He has a similar sense of humour to me – very dry. And when I met Emma for the first time, her warmth was overwhelming. She feels like a sister and I don't even know her. Oti [Motsi’s sister and former Strictly professional dancer] had already called me and told me: ‘She's absolutely amazing.’ I was lucky enough to be at the audition for the three of them and I said to the team: ‘I love them – they are the top of my list.'"
"I don't produce enough oestrogen to care what people think anymore!"
Aside from helping with picking presenters, Motsi also has a say in what she wears on screen, having gained the confidence to express her opinion in recent years. "Now I'm old enough to say: ‘I'm not wearing that.’ I'm more comfortable with myself and being loud with my opinion," she tells us.
"I think entering my forties and perimenopause has made me like this – I don't produce enough oestrogen to care what people think any more!" She is also careful not to wear a new dress every time she hits the red carpet, saying: "If our beautiful Princess Catherine can re-wear dresses, we can do it too." She adds: "I love my job and everything I do, but I value being with my husband and my daughter, and anything that affects my time with them has to have a good reason. "
© BBC/Kieron McCarronMuch more comfortable
Motsi is also feeling more comfortable with her health, having overhauled her body during the past 18 months, following a health assessment in which her doctor said that she was at risk of developing diabetes. Although she keeps up with her exercise routine, which includes Pilates and running on a treadmill, she admits that she sometimes finds it hard to stick to her diet when she is filming shows such as Strictly.
"The busier I get, the more difficult it is to control," she says. "When I travel or when I’m at Strictly, it's difficult because all the goodies are there. I've changed my rider [her list of requests for backstage provisions], so now it contains berries, and I try to eat the good stuff before the stress goes up – and then I get stuck into the chocolates." She adds: "I'm feeling more comfortable with myself, and feeling more comfortable with myself makes me feel good."
Watch Live Better for Less, in partnership with Vinted, with Mosti Mabuse, now on Prime Video UK
