Desperate to trace brother she snubbed
BLUNDER Amanda Francis
A WOMAN is trying to find her long-lost brother after hanging up on him seven years ago, thinking it was a prank call.
Amanda Francis, 38, had no idea she had a brother when she told the stranger on the phone to “f off ”.
That night, her mum confessed she had given birth to a son, Jason Stone, on November 21, 1974, but had him adopted.
She still had his hospital baby bangle in her purse.
Amanda, from Newham, east London, said: “I should have at least listened to what he had to say, but it was just a shock.”
Her appeal to trace him on Facebook has been shared 13,000 times. Amanda said: “I would really love to meet him.”
Now 45, his last known location was in Croydon.
Strictly Come Dancing’s newest judge Motsi Mabuse has fame and TV stardom but wants one thing even more... another baby.
The 38-year-old mum-of-one confided: “I’m aware time is ticking if I want to have a bigger family.”
Motsi, who is married to Ukrainian dancer Evgenij Voznyuk, added: “We both would like another baby and next year we have to make a decision.
“I have found clarity in my head and heart from being a mum.”
The couple now live near Hamburg, in Germany, with their 16-month-old daughter. Since joining the BBC hit show from Let’s Dance – Germany’s version of Strictly, where she was a pro dancer and then judge for 11 years – Motsi has been commuting to the UK.
“My daughter does not travel with me,” she revealed in German magazine Gala. “She has a much more stress-free life at home with her daddy.” But fame on Strictly comes at a price: “I was away from home for a few days and my daughter had suddenly learned to run. Now she dances. And then when I went away again, she learned new dance moves. These are the moments I do not want to miss.”
Becoming a mum has also had a profound effect on the South African-born dancer and she says it has made her a better person: “I have learned that it’s OK for me to say no to things.”
The demands of fame and having to promote your social media presence can be relentless but Motsi knows how important it is to live in the real world.
She said: “My husband and I are going to sit down and look at our calendars about the year ahead.
“When I come home now, I put my mobile phone to one side and am only concerned about myself and not worried what everyone else wants. Earlier, I was never separated from my mobile. Now I’m trying to do less on social media. I want to find a balance.”
Sharing the panel with Craig Revel Horwood’s Mr Nasty act, Bruno Tonioli’s high campness and
MOTSI MABUSE ON THE LESSONS OF BEING A MUM
I have learned that it is now OK for me to say no to things