Posted: 21:38, September 9, 2022 | Updated: 22:39, September 9, 2022
Motsi Mabuse claims her rocky relationship with ex-husband Timo Kulczak has hindered her professionally as he refused to let her open a dance school. The former Ballroom and Latin dancer, 41, married her first love Timo Kulczak, 45, when she was just 22 and ended their 11-year marriage in 2014. The Strictly Come Dancing judge says Timo took over her finances, paying her an allowance from what she earned from her TV appearances and dance lessons. Tough times: Motsi Mabuse, 41, claims her rocky relationship with ex-husband Timo Kulczak hindered her professionally as he refused to let her open a dance school In her book Finding My Own Rhythm, Motsi claims that Timo chose what they ate and refused to break up with her when she told him about it. He said: “Timo and I went to Thailand and I told him, once and for all, that I was leaving. We fought every day, but I refused to back down this time.’ Their relationship broke up after they stopped dancing together, despite the pair having previously won two German championships together. Timo also rejected her requests to have a baby and open a dance school together. Mochi moved to Germany to be with Timo at the age of 18, but realized she wasn’t in love with him at the time: “I wasn’t in love with Timo anymore — and hadn’t been for a long time.” Looking back: The former Ballroom and Latin dancer, 41, married her first love Timo Kulczak, 45, when she was just 22 and ended their 11-year marriage in 2014 (the couple are pictured in 2011) The couple eventually divorced in 2014 and Mochi married her Ukrainian husband Evgenij Voznyuk in 2017. While she insists that she and Evgenij were never involved while she was with Timo, she admits that the pair did talk about their feelings for each other, which precipitated her split from Timo. They now live together in Germany, where they share a four-year-old daughter and run a dance school. She is still friends with Timo. MailOnline has contacted Timo for comment. Moving on: The couple eventually split in 2014 and Motsi went on to marry Ukrainian husband Evgenij Voznyuk in 2017 (Motsi and Evgenij pictured in 2018) Elsewhere, Motsi Mabuse said she is “sad” her sister Oti won’t be a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing this year, but reveals she will stay on the judging panel for as long as they want her. The South African-born dancers have appeared together on the BBC dance competition for many years, but in February Otti, 32, announced she was leaving the show after seven years. Speech: Motsi spoke in the current issue of Prima magazine Speaking to Prima magazine, Motsi, who joined the show’s judging panel in 2019, confirmed she has no plans to leave the show anytime soon. He said: “I will be sad not to see her on Strictly this year. “I will always worry about my sister, but I have to respect her decision and let her go. She has proven that she can do more than protect herself and push herself to new heights. “In the meantime, I’ll keep flying the Mabuse flag on Strictly for as long as they want me.” Otti, who won the show in 2019 with soap star Kelvin Fletcher and in 2020 with comedian Bill Bailey, had sparked speculation about her future with Strictly after appearing as a judge on the latest series of ITV’s Dancing On Ice. But Oti will return to screens when the new series launches on September 17, alongside head judge Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke who become regular members of the judging panel following the departure of Bruno Tonioli. Sisters: The Strictly judge said she tries to challenge her 32-year-old Dancing On Ice sister Oti (both pictured in 2020) but that they both try to be there to support each other
