Latest news with #Aljaz
Wales Online
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Strictly's Janette Manrara admits work schedule left her feeling like a 'single mum'
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. 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. Article continues below 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Article continues below Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am
Edinburgh Live
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Strictly's Janette Manrara opens up on feeling like a 'single mum' over 'intense' schedule
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Good Morning Britain's Ed Balls and Susanna Reid spoke to Strictly Come Dancing stars Aljaž Skorjanec and Janette Manrara on Monday's instalment of the ITV show. The pair touched on the challenges of their demanding work schedule while raising their daughter Lyra. In 2022, Aljaz stepped down from the BBC programme, one year before they had their baby. During the programme, the ITV stars touched on Aljaz being a stay at home dad the majority of the time. He revealed: "I love it! It's like my favourite thing now, Strictly profession? No, stay at home dad is first!" However, Ed highlighted that Aljaz returned to the BBC show a year later and was rehearsing for the programme in London, while Janette and Lyra remained in Cheshire. Ed added: "That's where Lyra started off her life (Cheshire) but it ended up becoming just too hard to commute between the North West." Agreeing, Janette touched on Aljaz's intense work schedule for Strictly. She said: "You both know the schedule for Strictly is quite intense. "We don't really know Aljaz' schedule at all until basically the night before really of what the day is going to be like. "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." The Strictly star confessed it didn't feel fair on her daughter to keep travelling back and forth for work. (Image: Janette Manrara Instagram) She added: "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." She told the two GMB stars that their daughter's wellbeing comes first and foremost, ensuring she's comfortable. This month it was announced Aljaz would be returning to the BBC show as a professional dancer when Strictly hits the screens once again in September this year. Other stars returning include Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin and Gorka Marquez Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola will also be making a comeback. Good Morning Britain continues weekdays on ITV from 6am
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Strictly Come Dancing Janette and Aljaz on 'awful' time after major life decision
Strictly's Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec have been forced to move back down south after finding their dream home in Cheshire two-years-ago. The dancing duo spoke The Mirror about the move, after Aljaz's return to Strictly made life and commuting too hard for their family. "Awful, awful, absolutely awful," Aljaz, 35, said. READ MORE: EastEnders star Kellie Bright says 'this is it' as she announces new career move away from the show READ MORE: Inside the life of Gogglebox's Helena Worthington from job to quirky home "Moving home is one of the last things you want to do, let's be honest. And it doesn't matter how you do it, if you get someone to help you with it, if you do it yourself. The reality is you're going to be looking at cardboard for a foreseeable amount of time." With their toddler Lyra being their main priority, the couple felt the pressure of balancing everything was too much. Aljaz added: "It's very stressful and it takes so much longer with a little one, especially a toddler, because she finds it hilarious opening the boxes, and you don't want to stop her either. So yeah, you kind of find your toothbrush in the outside garage or something." The couple were devastated to leave the personal memories they made in the house as they prepare to embark on a joint 19-day tour, A Night To Remember. Janette, 41, said Aljaz's move back to Strictly made sustaining a family difficult as she commutes twice a week. "It was a mix of two things," Janette says of the reason behind the move. "Obviously, we loved being up north and we fell in love with the house because that was the first home that Lyra lived in. A lot of her first moments were all in that house. There were just so many beautiful memories in that house and the people up north are just such incredibly kind, warm, loving people. There's a real sense of community there. "We tried it this year with me commuting to London for It Takes Two and Aljaz staying down in London for the whole series of Strictly. In retrospect, we spent some very, very minimal time together as a family. Lyra and I were traveling up and down twice a week, staying in hotel rooms to try and make it work. "It's just not feasible for us to do that because the priority is family and spending time together and Lyra's well-being and that is not going to be sustainable if Aljaz is going back to Strictly, which hopefully he is. "So we thought it's better to be closer to London and at least we have slightly more guarantee that Lyra will have a bit more normalcy in her life. She'll be home, she'll be going to the same nursery, she'll be in the same kind of routine, and then we'll get to really spend more time together as a family than not. But never say never about going back up north, because we did love it up there." Aljaz added: "I stayed in a hotel for four months in a row at one point. I felt like Tom Hanks in The Terminal!" For Janette, it will be the calm lifestyle in Cheshire that she will miss most. "We loved living in the countryside so much," she said. "When we moved back down close to London, I said to Aljaz that the only way we could do this is if we could find a house that is in the countryside again, because we just love the green and the space. "Lyra wakes up in the morning to bird chirping and dew on the grass and views of just green and horses. We've got these beautiful little deer [Muntjac] that live near us as well. That is priceless more than anything else for me, the the space of green and fresh air that you get in the countryside." Although they now juggle an even busier lifestyle, they wouldn't change a thing, loving their life with Lyra. Aljaz said: "It's like flipping a pancake. It's been the most wholesome and the most loving experience from day one. It changes your life completely. Anyone who has children knows that you find a new love that you didn't know existed before. You think you love something so much, and then you realise, Oh, I can love something even more. "She's brilliant. She has completely come into our life. Of course, like we said, now you have to schedule everything, but she's such a little trooper. She's been in more hotels before she's two years old than most people do in their lifetime! She's been on tours, she's been traveling to America, to everywhere! She's so good, and I think that she just brightens up every single day." Janette added: "Aljaz and I have always been really in love and had a beautiful marriage, and we really feel like we've always been a team in life, and now we're a team as parents. She's become the new priority of us and I think that's been the biggest change. Which we want, of course, that's what we want to experience! We're obsessed and we love her.
