Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara has opened up about the challenges of parenting with husband Aljaž Skorjanec.
The 40-year-old Cuban-American professional quit Strictly in 2021 to take on the role of presenting spin-off show, It Takes Two.
Then, in July last year, she and Aljaž welcomed baby girl Lyra Rose, who regularly melts hearts on the couples’ Instagram pages.
As Aljaž, 34, gears up to return to the BBC dance show after a two-year break, Janette has admitted that the programme will take a toll on their family life, as they don’t have anyone else to lean on.
In a new interview, Janette – whose past Strictly partners include Jake Wood, Peter Andre, and Aston Merrygold – said it’s ‘very difficult’ to juggle work and raising a 13-month-old.
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Janette’s family reside in Miami, while Aljaž’s loved ones live in Slovenia, meaning him going back to Strictly as a professional with such an intense schedule will bring challenges.
‘We have no one to help so it’s all about future planning as much as possible. It’s a massive juggle,’ she told The Mirror.
‘Right now, Aljaž and I are trying to figure out how we’re going to make it work with him being back on Strictly full-time.
‘His schedule is basically seven days a week and the hours are here, there, and everywhere.
‘Lyra goes to nursery a couple of days a week, but planning childcare when Aljaž and I are both working and she is not in nursery can be very complicated, especially with no family around to help.’
Janette added: ‘I know how hard it is doing Strictly, let alone doing it when you’re a parent, so I’m planning every inch of our lives for the next few months.’
She stressed that ‘the most important thing is that Lyra’s comfortable and happy.’
‘I don’t want her to miss Mummy or Daddy too much amidst the madness.’
Janette also admitted to ‘putting [her] foot on the brake’ in terms of her career when she became a mum.
Confessing to being a ‘workaholic’, she said: ‘I’m a dancer and my body is my tool, so the decision to have a child was a big one, as it meant putting me out of work for at least a year, maybe two, who knows?
‘When I became a presenter on It Takes Two, I felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. “Ok, now we can start a family and not stress because now I can work without needing my body physically as much as I used to”.’
Janette and Aljaž married in 2017, with her proudly declaring him her ‘best friend’ and saying they’re now more in love than ever.
The sweet couple will work alongside one another later this year when Aljaž appears on It Takes Two, which Janette hosts alongside Fleur East.
As for his return to the ballroom, the news came as a major surprise to Strictly fans last month.
The Slovenian dancer – who previously lifted the glitter ball with Abbey Clancy – said in a statement after his comeback was confirmed: ‘I could not be more ecstatic to be back with the Strictly family!
‘This year is such a special one for this legendary show, I can’t wait to be a part of it and make my return to the dancefloor.
‘I had an absolute ball during my nine-year stint on Strictly, during my time away I became a parent, which has been an exciting challenge in itself and now I’m ready to experience the Strictly magic again.
‘It feels so right to be coming back, I missed the fun, glitter and the judges of course and I hope to make my daughter Lyra proud!’
He also told The One Show that his daughter has started to walk and has a ‘beautiful little wiggle’, so she’s ready to boogie along with him each Saturday night.
On whether becoming a dad has changed him as a person, and whether fatherhood has taught him any lessons he can take into the training room, Aljaž joked: ‘The one thing she’s definitely taught me is how to stay up for three days at a time.
‘I’m probably gonna have more energy to train than I’ve ever had before!’
Aljaž last series as a pro was in 2021 when he was paired with Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies.
Having worked on the show for a decade, Aljaž later admitted to finding it harder to come up with ideas for routines.
‘It took longer to create numbers, it took longer to come up with songs that hadn’t been used, that I hadn’t used,’ he told Hello! Magazine
Aljaž will now be making up the numbers after the departure of two fan-favourite pros, Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.
Their exits come amid investigations into alleged mistreatment in the rehearsal room, with Amanda Abbington accusing Giovanni of ‘toxicity’ and ‘bullying’, which the Italian star denies.
Meanwhile, Graziano was allegedly physically abusive towards Love Islander Zara McDermott, with reports claiming he kicked her.
Graziano later spoke out, claiming he merely ‘brushed’ her and insisted: ‘I’m not an abusive man.’
This year’s Strictly cast includes DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, Towie’s Pete Wicks, Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri, and Miranda actress Sarah Hadland.
They’ll compete for the trophy alongside the likes of EastEnders’ Jamie Borthwick, Olympian Tom Dean, JLS pop star JB Gill, and sports pundit Sam Quek.
Strictly fans don’t have long to wait until this year’s partnerships are revealed either, as the 2024 launch date has been confirmed as September 14.
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