Strictly Come Dancing: Why is Janette Manrara not on the show this year?

Janette Manrara isn’t taking part (Picture: BBC)

Strictly Come Dancing has finally returned to our screens, with the 12 celebrities and their dance partners set to perform live for the first time tonight.

The hotly anticipated episode will see Great British Bake Off star John Whaite and professional Johannes Radebe, the first male pairing in the show’s history, perform a tango to Blue Monday by New Order.

Janette Manrara, however, won’t be taking to the ballroom floor this time around after announcing in June that she was stepping down as a professional dancer on the beloved BBC programme.

Why is Janette Manrara not on the show this year?

Professional dancer Janette is the new host of Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two alongside Rylan Clarke-Neal and won’t be appearing on the main show this year.

She replaces Zoe Ball, who announced her departure from the programme in May after 10 years at the helm.

Janette is the new co-host of It Takes Two (Picture: Getty)

Janette, who had been a professional dancer on Strictly, called It Takes Two her dream gig but admitted that she would be sad to no longer take part in the competition with a professional partner. 

Speaking on The One Show, she told Alex Jones: ‘I will not be dancing. I don’t want to well up because I have been welling up a lot today, but that has been the hardest part of accepting this amazing honour to join It Takes Two.

‘It’s the realisation that I will not be on that legendary Strictly dancefloor any more. But I feel that this is most beautiful and natural progression.

‘I am still a part of the Strictly family, I am still going to be seeing my fellow pros all the time and I will keep dancing, as they say. I will find a way to keep dancing.’

More: Strictly Come Dancing

Although Janette won’t be dancing, four additional professionals have been added to the bill.

The new faces are Kai Widdrington, from the Irish version of Dancing With The Stars, former Let’s Dance Germany professional Nikita Kuzmin, reigning South African Latin champion Cameron Lombard, and The Greatest Dancer winner Jowita Przystal.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday at 7pm on BBC One.

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