Strictly’s Aljaž Škorjanec: ‘One factor will determine if I return for good’-Josie Copson-Entertainment – Metro

Aljaž Škorjanec has spoken about whether he’ll be back (Picture: Ray Burmiston/BBC)

In just over one week Strictly Come Dancing 2024 will be over, and this season was particularly special as it marked the triumphant return of Aljaž Škorjanec to the BBC series.

Partnered with Tasha Ghouri, Aljaž has reminded viewers why he has always been a fan-favourite professional. Amongst their achievements, the duo are currently the only couple to have scored a perfect 40, which they gained for their American Smooth to Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi.

Together, they have formed a formidable team, and Aljaž, 34, has repeatedly spoken about how happy he is to be back after taking a three-year break.

As his responsibilities are almost done for the current 20th anniversary special, Metro asks Aljaž if he will still be remaining as part of the lineup next year.

A major deciding factor for him is his one-year daughter Lyra. ‘It’s up to her,’ he told Metro. In an interesting turn of events, he then began to impersonate the toddler, putting on a baby voice and speaking gibberish. ‘You can translate it, gababa gaber gababa,’ he let out before laughing.

The translation could be that Aljaž is going to do what benefits his family the most. In a more serious part of the interview, this is what he appears to be alluding towards.

Aljaž is letting his family decide if he carries on in Strictly Come Dancing (Picture: Instagram/ @aljazskorjanec)

Luckily, for those hoping to see him return, Aljaž says the job has made him a better father. ‘Obviously, with being a dad, there is a new aspect of my life that wasn’t there before for nine years,’ he began.

‘I had so much more to think about and to do, but it made me focused, organised, and it made me more prepared for anything that came with my fatherhood and anything that came with Strictly.

‘Because if I’m not with Lyra and if I am here, then I’m gonna do it 150% because otherwise what is the point? Otherwise, I just want to be home. It puts things into a massive perspective, and it made me be a better dad, and it makes me be a better Strictly pro.’

Aljaž summarised: ‘I feel like I’ve never been more creative, I’ve never been more involved, and never been more on the top of my game than this year, actually, in a very funny way.’

Fatherhood has made him a better Strictly pro (Picture: Ray Burmiston/BBC/PA Wire)

His wife Janette Manrara recently said she can sometimes feel like a single mother and recounted how Aljaž travelled three hours to come see her on a tough day.

Despite having to adjust to their new normal, Aljaž knew what he was taking on when he agreed to come back so there have been no surprises.

‘It’s exactly what I thought it would be. I knew what was required of me. I know how much time and how much of your day goes to Strictly,’ he stated.

The all-encompassing job, being part of one of the UK’s biggest and most adored shows, is something Love Island star Tasha, 26, has loved being a part of. Unlike Aljaž, she can’t do it again. Thinking about the closing of the chapter, which Tasha called ‘an absolute dream’ has made her very emotional. When we speak to her on the day before the semi-finals, she admits to shedding a few tears throughout the day.

Tasha was ‘screaming inside’ when her cochlear implant fell out (Picture: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire)

Just six days earlier, they faced one of the most difficult weeks in the quarter-finals. During their Argentine Tango, performed to Ex-Wives from Six, Tasha’s cochlear implant fell out mid-routine. The electronic device is what Tasha, who was born to deaf, uses to hear.

She recalls the moment of panic, and explains exactly what she was thinking: ‘Inside my head I was screaming. I remember seeing Aljaž’s eyes look like a dear in headlights. I know it’s a live show and I can’t stop time, so I just had no choice but to keep going. I wish I could have stopped and restarted, but that wasn’t a possibility.’

Instead of relying on the music, Tasha followed the counts and put her trust fully into Aljaž to guide her through the routine. Tasha was busy making a plan on when she could put the device back in, but after a few seconds it reinserted during a backbend. She notes that it rarely ever goes back in without human touch.

Now, reflecting on the incident, Tasha is looking at it as a way to inspire – a key theme of her Strictly experience: ‘You just have to keep going and don’t let your disability define you. It’s something I’ve really dealt with over the past years, and it’s about how you overcome these things. I’m so glad I just carried on. I didn’t let it stop me, and that sent such a powerful and positive message to people.’

After overcoming the unexpected challenge, they faced another one – the dance-off. Despite being joint second on the leaderboard with a score of 38, Tasha and Aljaž were in the bottom two with Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe.

Once again, looking at things with a cup half full perspective, they are grateful it put ‘fire in their bellies’.

Aljaž explained: ‘When the light turned red, we both went: “Okay, fine, let’s do this”. Before a dance-off you got into a holding area where you warm up. We didn’t because we knew that we were absolutely ready to go and do that dance.

‘Until that point we sometimes took it, not for granted, but you think it’s never going to happen. When it does happen, it can either break you or make you. It did the second. It gave me little butterflies, which I haven’t had for a while.’

Tasha decided she wasn’t going home yet, and in Aljaž’s opinion she danced even better as a result. The only part they didn’t enjoy was having to see their friends Montell, 38, and Johannes, 37, exit the show.

They have become a formidable team (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

Tasha is a trained dancer in commercial/street style, and so has faced some viewers questioning whether she should be in the contest. People have asked if it gives her too much of an unfair advantage, this is something that crops up each year with one star being the focus. Last year, it was Layton Williams.

Asked if the discussion has impacted her enjoyment, Tasha defiantly told us it hasn’t. ‘I’ve been absolutely okay. I never look at the negatives,’ she emphasised.

‘I’m on my own journey. The beauty of Strictly is everyone has different abilities and journeys on this show, and fans have their favourites.

‘I’m proud of myself because I’ve improved so much since week one. It’s about uplifting every one of us and not having to tear people down just because people got different experiences. We should be celebrated no matter what.’

She added that her dance background is completely different to what she’s contended with over the last 11 weeks, and actually it could even be considered harder as she’s had to ‘unlearn habits’.

With only two main episodes to go, of course the remaining celebrities – Tasha, JB Gill, Sarah Hadland, Chris McCausland and Pete Wicks – are naturally thinking about winning. However, Tasha and Aljaž’s goal is to just reach the final, and if they do, fans will be in for a treat as he has been planning the show dance ‘since 2022’.

‘I’m not majorly focused on winning the show, I would just love to make it there and to be able to finish off the whole journey nicely,’ Tasha said of her thought process. She then hopes to use this experience to level up next year and do more presenting. First though, Tasha plans to enjoy some time with boyfriend Andrew Le Page and her family over Christmas.

Meanwhile, Aljaž is insistent that whatever happens, this isn’t goodbye.

‘I don’t like saying goodbye. I never say goodbye to people, mainly like, not even when they say goodbye to tomorrow. It’s just till next time really.

‘This has been a beautiful little start to a great friendship and I firmly believe that it’s gonna continue,’ he summarised.

The Strictly Come Dancing semi-final airs Saturday at 6:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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