Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse has announced a dramatic career change as she unveiled her sexiest project yet on Friday – and got her husband involved to promote it.
The pro dancer, 33, swapped the dancefloor for the book store as she let her creative juices flow and revealed she has penned a ‘spicy’ adult fiction book.
Her debut romance novel, Slow Burn, will be published in hardback, ebook and audio on September 11 2025.
And to tease it, the star shared a very racy clip featuring herself and her husband Marius Lepure, 41.
The video saw Oti be pinned against the wall by her husband, with a later shot showing a dress and heels on the floor, suggesting her debut book will not be holding back.
Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse has announced a dramatic career change as she unveiled her sexiest project yet on Friday – and got her husband involved to promote it
And to tease it, the star shared a very racy clip featuring herself and her husband Marius Lepure, 41
The raunchy clip was set against the song Earned It by The Weeknd, which features on the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack.
In a later video to announce what the project is, Oti told her 709,000 followers: ‘Hi you guys, okay, I have some news to share. I’m so excited.
‘It is a little project that I’ve been working on now for a little while – and I get to spill the beans on what it is.
‘Now I know some of you know that I love reading, but more than that, I love reading a good romance.
‘So, I’ve just gone and written one. It is so good, it is funny, it is spicy, and of course – it’s got dance in it. It wouldn’t be a book without dance if it wasn’t me.’
She added: ‘It will be out on September 11 2025 but it is available to pre-order and you can get some signed copies from W.H Smith, which is so exciting.
‘I had so much fun with this one and I really hope that you enjoy reading it too – let’s get our book on.’
The raunchy clip was set against the song Earned It by The Weeknd, which features on the Fifty Shades Of Grey soundtrack
The video saw Oti be pinned against the wall by her husband, with a later shot showing a dress and heels on the floor, suggesting her debut book will not be holding back
Her debut romance novel, Slow Burn, will be published in hardback, ebook and audio on September 11 2025
The cover art for the book has also been revealed to show a couple looking lovingly into each others eyes on a dancefloor and the text on the front reads: ‘On the floor they’re smouldering. Off it they’re electric.’
The books description on the Waterstones website explains: ‘To fall in love, they first have to get back in hold.
‘For Lira, Latin Ballroom is everything. Whilst her dreams of fame were cut short aged 19, she’s never forgotten the connection she felt dancing with a stranger at the Paris World Championship afterparty 13 years ago.
‘Taking on the responsibility of running the family dance studio wasn’t in her master plan, but with her two younger sisters pursuing their own successful careers, Lira’s flame of ambition is barely burning anymore.
‘But Lira is still feisty and fierce, and just because her family treat her like a doormat, she’s not going to take it lying down anymore. A chance encounter sees Lira secretly auditioning for Slow Burn, a new dance show about to embark on a 6-week European tour, and coming face to face with a blast from her past that sends her reeling.
‘Gabriele has been the darling of the Latin Ballroom scene since his mother taught him the Argentine tango as a child. Slim of hip, with long, lean muscles that pop, a chiselled jaw, dark eyes, obscenely long lashes, and a mouth that just won’t give, he’s been surrounded by fawning women all his life.
‘He’s the quintessential bad boy – arrogant, cocky, and he almost can’t help but take women for granted.
‘As the longest serving, and most popular professional dancer on hit Italian TV dancing competition, Bring the Heat, the world’s his oyster, and it’s no surprise when he lands the principal male lead role on Slow Burn.
In a later video to announce what the project is, Oti told her 709,000 followers: ‘Hi you guys, okay, I have some news to share. I’m so excited’
Oti said: ‘So, I’ve just gone and written one. It is so good, it is funny, it is spicy, and of course – it’s got dance in it. It wouldn’t be a book without dance if it wasn’t me’
Oti’s husband Marius Lepure featured in the ‘spicy’ promotional video (pictured together in 2023)
‘But, with just a few weeks to go till the tour starts, he’s at his wit’s end and down to his last two female lead auditionees. He needs to feel the heat, the fire, the chemistry… then in walks Lira.’
Oti added: ‘I am so excited to be joining Simon & Schuster UK to publish my first adult fiction titles.
‘I’m proud of my career in the dance world and the opportunities that it has brought. To be able to work on these novels has been an absolute pleasure and a dream of mine.
‘Working with Sara-Jade and her innovative, creative and passionate team has been so much fun, and I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on these books!’
Sara-Jade Virtue said: ‘It is no exaggeration to say that bringing love stories created by Oti to the Romance space is an absolute career highlight.
‘By being her authentic true self on our TV screens every week – a strong, relatable, smart, funny, passionate and inspirational woman – she won the hearts of the nation, including mine.
‘Slow Burn is the perfect debut novel from Oti. It’s spicy, it’s romantic and it has a swoon-worthy HEA that is going to blow your socks off!
‘Filled with sexy, Black female characters, and hot scenes of sizzling, spicy passion, Oti has created characters that brim with heat and heart. I’m excited for readers to meet Lira and Gabriele both on, and off, the dancefloor.’
The couple revealed their first child had arrived on Christmas day as they shared this sweet picture of their daughter on Instagram
Marius, who features in the teaser clip, has been married to Oti for nine years and the couple welcomed their first child together in December 2023.
He is also a dancer and has said that he only began dancing at the age of 12, as he preferred football.
Born in Romania, he moved to Germany in 2001 and participated in Let’s Dance, the German take on Strictly Come Dancing, from 2014 to 2015.
In 2015, Oti joined Marius on Just Dance and reached the quarter-finals while Marius and his partner were eliminated first.
They had already met, however, during a dance trial, and Marius proposed to and married Oti in 2014.
Oti and Marius moved to London in Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, when Oti began appearing on the show.
The following series, Oti and her partner Danny Mac came second and made Strictly history for the first score of 40 for a Samba and the most 10s in a single seriea.
Although they no longer work on the same television show, Marius is still Oti’s professional dance partner and they compete in ballroom competitions.
The couple announced their pregnancy in August and announced the arrival of their baby girl on Christmas Day.
