DWTS former pro Keo Motsepe ‘craves’ return to show and ‘misses the stage’ after sudden exit and mom’s tragic death

DANCING With The Stars former pro Keo Motsepe has admitted he ‘craves’ returning to the ballroom and ‘misses’ being on the stage after two seasons of not being asked to return.

The dancer and choreographer opened up about the toll losing his mom around that same time took on him, and how he’s now focused on honoring her legacy in an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun.

Keo, 34, made history in 2014 when he was cast as the first Black pro dancer on DWTS when he was paired with Olympian Lolo Jones for season 19.

He went on to compete in the next 10 seasons – most successfully with Harry Potter actress Evanna Lynch, placing third in the finals of season 27 – though many feel they were “robbed’ and deserved to win.

After Keo was partnered with Anne Heche in season 29, placing 13th, he never returned to the DWTS stage – leaving viewers at home wondering what happened. 

In an exclusive interview, Keo told The U.S. Sun that he sees fan cries that they miss him after his abrupt exit and it “definitely does not go unnoticed.”  

“I still miss being on the show. You know, in life, in every person’s life or journey where you stop doing something because of whatever the situation is, and you still miss that last moment.

“You’re like, just that last one, one more time to be on the stage. That, that is what I crave. I think through the universe and through God and through the producers of the show, when it’s the right time, and with everything online about me coming back, then yeah, you know, I’ll be back. 

“A thousand percent I want to be back,” Keo said with a smile. 

He then noted how DWTS pros don’t even get the call they have made it to the next season call sheet until just days before production starts – but that losing his mom in 2021 put things into perspective so much, that he wasn’t even focused on whether or not he was returning that year.

“They call last minute, like, we don’t know on the show, pretty much, sometimes until two days before you meet your partner, that’s when you get a call.   

“And I think, after losing my mom, I was in a space where, like, whether I get a call or not, I was just like, I didn’t know where was forward, where was side up or down. 

“It was a very rough time for me personally, so I think that is the big part of just not doing the show or doing something that will put me on a stage that is like publicly or whatever.

“Stuff like that so like everything I’ve done recently has been since then has been like behind the scenes you know.”

Keo, who has since been choreographing talent for various cruise lines out of the Miami area, admits his recent gigs that are more behind-the-scenes have been fun, but he misses being in the spotlight. 

“Seeing other people just smile because they’re on stage and I get to choreograph for that, it’s been great but I do miss the show a lot. Like I watch still but the focus has been just on healing. 

“I lost literally the best part of me, my mom. There’s great days and there’s days when I wake up and something will happen and then I’m like ‘I miss my mom.’

“Sometimes I have moments when I’m like ‘let me call my mom’ and there’s days when, I want to tell her something, and I just burst into crying, into tears, you know, so it’s a process.”

Keo then appeared emotional, but smiled as he said that he’s “thankful” his last moments with his mom were “funny” as she was “laughing on the phone” – which in turn made him laugh “for a good hour.”

The South African native also got to honor his mom with a tombstone ceremony during a trip home to see the rest of his family.

Keo shared the news of his mother’s death in January 2021, sharing a photo of his “queen.”

“I am gonna miss you mama. I love you. #RIP,” he captioned the picture.  

“I lost the queen of my heart,” he added.

‘I’LL NEVER FORGIVE DWTS’

DWTS fans have been wondering where Keo has been in the years since his abrupt departure – with many claiming the show never gave him the “respect” he deserves. 

“I will never forgive DWTS for the way they treated Keo. He never got the respect he deserved,” someone bluntly wrote. 

“He was just coming into his own after such amazing season with Evanna. He was even great with Anne even tho she was clearly not dancer and how the show has treated him since then and just overall is sick,” another said. 

“Yeah I hate how after doing incredible with Evanna they demoted then gave him Anne and then kicked him to the curve. 

“Anne was not a natural dancer but he did so well with her. It will never make sense why he got cut,” a third speculated.