Janette Manrara has admitted she feels “very saddened” by the scandal surrounding Strictly Come Dancing, after being part of the BBC show for over a decade.
The professional dancer, who now presents Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two, says she has avoided reaching out to fellow pros and “great friends” Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima after they lost their jobs due to accusations of mistreatment from their 2023 celebrity dance partners, Amanda Abbington and Zara McDermott.
Speaking out on the “messy time” in a candid new interview with The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine, Janette said when quizzed on if she’s been in touch with Graziano or Giovanni since the furore: “I’ve tried to steer clear.
“It’s complicated and I’m a bit of a girl’s girl. I just don’t know. They were both really great friends and I feel very saddened by everything that’s happening, not just to them but to the [celebs] involved.
“It’s such a messy time right now…” she added. Janette also revealed how she felt when allegations emerged about the dance show.
She explained: “I was shocked, because you just never want to hear that. But it is a dance show, it gets physical and it is a competition.
“There is intensity that sometimes happens in the rehearsal rooms.”
Giovanni has strongly denied Amanda’s claims of “unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean” behaviour in rehearsals for the show, and says he looks “forward to clearing [his] name” amid an ongoing BBC investigation.
Graziano was accused of kicking and spitting at his 2023 partner Zara, and said he “deeply regrets” some of his actions, but denies the spitting allegation.
A bright spot in Janette’s life is her one-year-old daughter Lyra, whom she shares with husband Aljaz Skorjanec – now returning to Strictly as a pro after Giovanni’s departure.
Gushing over the moment Strictly bosses called and offered Aljaz a spot on the 2024 series, Janette told the publication: “It was probably the easiest and fastest ‘yes’ of his life.
“You should have seen his face! We both cried. He’s honestly so happy.”