'There's pride in knowing where you come from'

Dancing queens Motsi and Oti Mabuse uncover their real royal connection

- Jen Pharo

They’re already certified queens of the dance floor but now Motsi and Oti Mabuse have discovered they have royal DNA – as well as being distantly related to the iconic Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The sisters, who grew up in South Africa, struggled to fill in their family tree themselves due to poor records kept for Black people during the Apartheid years. But they make a string of amazing discoveries on ITV1’s DNA Journey.

Joking around on the show, Oti, 32, reveals her secret fantasy was that she and Motsi, 41, would discover they are actually princesses. “The thought of it is nice though, isn’t it? Princesses Oti and Motsi!” she laughs.

“Because in the Botswana tribes there are a few royal families, I think it would be hilarious to find out…” Before she can finish, Motsi interrupts, “…that we are queens?”

Even though the sisters started off joking, it’s not long before they are on their way to the ancestral home of the royals in the region of Hammanskraal. There, they sit down with the chief, with whom scientists reveal they share DNA.

Motsi and Oti have become two of the UK’s biggest stars, with Motsi judging Strictly Come Dancing and Oti sitting on the Dancing On Ice judging panel. However, while their futures look dazzling, they’re desperate to know more about their past – and the ancestors who contributed to who they are today.