Oti Mabuse thought ITV bosses were asking her to be a contestant on 'The Masked Dancer' rather than a judge.
Oti Mabuse
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' professional has joined the panel of the new show alongside Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, and Mo Gilligan, but she assumed the producers were interviewing her about potentially taking part in the contest only to find out they wanted her as a judge.
She said: "I was under the impression that I was doing it as a contestant.
"I was just yacking away to them about how I would spice it up and they were like, 'Well, let’s just have another chat and then we can talk about the jury.'
"I was like, 'What?' "
As well as trying her hand at judging on the TV show - which is a spin-off of 'The Masked Singer' - Oti has also been forging a career as a TV presenter, and she has been honing her skills on 'Steph’s Packed Lunch' for 15 minutes after every show.
She said: "I work a lot with Steph McGovern, doing 'Steph’s Packed Lunch' live.
"After every show, the whole crew stay for 15 minutes so I can run the show as Steph."
The 30-year-old star admitted Steph is a TV presenter she admires, as is Gethin Jones, Holly Willoughby, Zoe Ball, and her fellow 'Masked Dancer' judge Davina.
Oti added to Metro newspaper: "She [Steph] gives me cues - how to read certain things, how I speak, how to pronounce and enunciate words.
"Also, Gethin Jones on 'Morning Live'. Those two are the people that have motivated and actually helped me. I look up to Holly Willoughby and Davina because she’s so natural. And Zoe Ball."
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