ON THE SHOW

converted an empty office into her own dance studio because there were no dance schools her girls could attend.

“We were the wow girls, the showgirls – all three,” said Motsi in her book.

“And the biggest diva of all of us, that was Otlile. The name means ‘She has arrived’, and so has she behaved since the day she was born. Of us three girls, she has the greatest confidence, the greatest self-awareness.”

Although she was set on a career as dancer, Oti – who can speak eight languages – trained as a civil engineer on leaving school just as a “back up” in case an injury wrecked her prospects.

Her sisters’ attainments are equally impressive – Motsi trained as a lawyer and Phemelo as a mechanical engineer.

“I was dancing when I was four and dancing has always been a part of my life,” said Oti.

“My mum was like, ‘School, school, school and after school you go and dance – no friends.

You go to the dance studio – who needs friends? Nobody needs friends’.”

In 2012, already a dance champion in South Africa,

Oti followed Motsi to

Germany before coming to the UK to join Strictly three years later with her Romanian dancepartner husband Marius Lepure, 36.

She’s been in the show for four series, coming second in 2016 with Hollyoaks’ star Danny Mac and seventh last year with cricketer Graeme Swann.

Now fans are calling her the standout star of Simon Cowell’s new BBC show The Greatest Dancer, with enthusiastic tweets from viewers praising her judging skills and from fellow Strictly pros sending their congratulations.

And of course, plaudits from her family. For Oti that bond is important. She’s close to Phemelo’s children as well as her sisters and often posts adorable images of them together.

But it’s the words she posted online next to the picture at the top-left of this page, with her mum and siblings when she was a baby, that express it best. She said: “My family always got their hands on me, blessing and take care of each other!

“Through tough times, fun times and bad times, I know they’ve got my back... there’s no love like a mother and her children and between siblings.”