Strictly's Janette Manrara admits work schedule left her feeling like a 'single mum'

Wales Online

28-04-2025

Strictly's Janette Manrara admits work schedule left her feeling like a 'single mum'
Strictly Come Dancing professional Janette Manrara said she felt like a "single mum" as she struggled with the demanding schedule of the BBC show while raising her daughter Lyra
During Monday's edition of Good Morning Britain with Ed Balls and Susanna Reid, special guests and Strictly Come Dancing favourites Aljaž Skorjanec and Janette Manrara spoke about juggling their intense schedules with family life.
The conversation touched on the couple's experiences balancing their professional commitments with raising their daughter Lyra.
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In the spotlight was Aljaz's departure from Strictly in 2022 and his new role as a predominantly stay-at-home dad after Janette gave birth to their first child.
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Aljaz joyfully admitted on the show: "I love it! It's like my favourite thing now, Strictly profession? No, stay at home dad is first!".
Strictly Come Dancing professional Janette Manrara said she felt like a "single mum" as she struggled with the demanding schedule of the BBC show
(Image: ITV )
However, despite stepping away from the series, Aljaz made a comeback to the BBC's ballroom dancing competition, prompting him to commute between London rehearsals and his family home in Cheshire.
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Ed pointed out the difficulties of such an arrangement, saying: "That's where Lyra started off her life (Cheshire) but it ended up becoming just too hard to commute between the North West.", reports Edinburgh Live.
Janette acknowledged the intensity of the Strictly schedule, noting: "You both know the schedule for Strictly is quite intense."
Detailing how unpredictable Aljaz's work could be, she added: "We don't really know Aljaz' schedule at all until basically the night before really of what the day is going to be like.
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Aljaž Skorjanec and Janette spoke about juggling their intense schedules with family life
(Image: ITV )
"So I kept saying to my friends, I felt a little bit like a single mum those few months. Because I had to kind of assume Aljaz would not be around, so it was just me and Lyra."
She shared concerning her experience during those hectic months. Commenting on the difficulty of constant travel with a young child, Janette expressed that it didn't seem right to keep shuttling back and forth and instead opted to have a more stable home environment for Lyra.
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She elaborated: "We didn't get to spend a lot of time with Aljaz last series, so we've moved back down closer to London, which, I think, has been a really great decision for us as a family."
Janette and Aljaz with their daughter Lyra
(Image: Janette Manrara Instagram )
Speaking to the presenters on GMB, she emphasised that their daughter's happiness is the top priority, making sure she feels settled and content.
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In recent news, it was revealed that Aljaz is set to make his return as one of the professional dancers on the BBC's hit show Strictly Come Dancing, which will be gracing television screens again in September this year.
The line-up of returning professionals includes Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, and Gorka Marquez.
Fans can also look forward to seeing Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Vito Coppola back on the dance floor.
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Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am