The dancer and presenter was a pro on the hit BBC One dance show from 2013 until her decision to leave in 2021
Strictly’s Janette Manrara(Image: Janette Manrara Instagram)
Janette Manrara was excited to share some ‘big news’ with fans as the Strictly Come Dancing star revealed her plans to make her UK status permanent.
The dancer and presenter was a pro on the hit BBC One dance show from 2013 until her decision to leave in 2021. However, Janette remained part of the Strictly family as she became the co-host of BBC Two spin-off show, It Takes Two, while her husband Aljaz Skorjanec continued as a pro.
While he left in 2022, Aljaz made a much-welcomed return to the pro line-up last year, later making the 2024 series final alongside former Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, before being paired with La Voix before her unfortunate withdrawal from the competition this year.
Janette and Aljaz have had a more than a decade-long romance so far, having met at the London studios Dance Attic in 2010. Their relationship blossomed as they starred in the hit live dance show, Burn the Floor, before their romance turned long-distance, with Aljaž based back home in Slovenia and Janette in LA.
But in 2013, they were reunited in London when they bagged sports as professional dancers on Strictly. Two years later and Aljaz popped the question, getting down on one knee at the dance studios where they first met. Their wedding came two years later in 2017, with their Strictly co-stars among the guests at the London ceremony, and in 2023, they welcomed their daughter, Lyra, into the world.
Janette shared the update with her social media followers(Image: Janette Manrara Instagram)
Now, away from her relationship and job, Janette has revealed she’s ‘becoming a Brit’ as she completed her British citizenship test. The ‘Life in the UK Test’ is a mandatory, multiple-choice exam for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or British citizenship, assessing knowledge of UK history, culture, laws, and customs from the official handbook.
Taking to her Instagram Story having taken hers, Janette wrote: “BIG NEWS…” alongside the Union Jack flag before saying in a video post: “Guys, I passed my Life in the UK Test! It’s the only thing that I needed to do to now start my paperwork process to become a British citizen.
“So, I passed the test. I’m so excited. It was hard! I probably know alot more of British history and British culture than I ever expected to know but it’s cool, I love history anyway. It was harder than I thought but I really enjoyed learning and oh my gosh, I’m going to be a British citizen. She’s going to be a Brit! Can you believe it? How wonderful. How exciting!”
