Janette Manrara says Strictly exit caused issue in marriage with Aljaz Skorjanec

Janette Manrara, 39, is delighted to be expecting her first baby with husband Aljaz Skorjanec, 33, which she says wouldn’t have been possible without her career change, from performing on Strictly Come Dancing, to hosting its spin-off show, Strictly: It Takes Two.

However, the move didn’t come without its challenges, as the couple found it “hard” to spend more time apart during Strictly season.

After struggling with being away from his wife, Aljaz followed in her footsteps and quit his professional dancing role on the BBC show.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, Janette explained that the duo had become accustomed to working closely together throughout their 12 years as a couple.

She recalled: “When I left Strictly to start doing It Takes Two, I think it was kind of hard for both of us because I wasn’t there with him as much.

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“We couldn’t be together as much, and I think, for him especially, being in the same environment but just without me made him a bit sad. 

“He’s my best friend, my husband, my everything, and especially now.

“I always knew he wanted to be a dad and that he was going to be an incredible father, but as a husband to me, as a pregnant woman, I mean, just the dream!

“I couldn’t have asked for someone more supportive and excited and, you know, Aljaz knows more about prams and car seats than I do,” Janette gushed.

The star, who is currently busy hosting Disney 100: The Concert tour before welcoming her first child, shared that she felt “relieved” after being offered her dream TV presenting role on It Takes Two, as it would allow the couple to start a family.

Janette told Express.co.uk: “We wanted to be parents but once I got It Takes Two, that was the moment that I felt a lot of pressure was relieved off me, because as a dancer, my body was always my tool.

“And, you know, if all I was doing was dancing, it would have made it a lot more difficult for us to push forward and have a family.

“We eventually would have made it work, but it would have been a bit harder.”

Janette shared: “It was kind of that relief that, okay, if I’m hosting and presenting and delving into another part of my career now, we can have a family and be a little bit less stressed about how we can make it work.

“So yeah, I didn’t make the choice to do It Takes Two to start a family, but they kind of just coincided with each other.”

Janette Manrara will host Disney 100: The Concert, celebrating Disney’s seminal music from the last century performed by live orchestra and guest singers which starts 31st May in Glasgow. Tour dates and tickets can be found at disneytickets.co.uk