Strictly Come Dancing couple Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec have marked their wedding anniversary with a romantic beach video, just weeks after Janette announced her departure from the BBC show and its spin-off It Takes Two.
Anniversary Celebrations
The couple shared an identical clip on Instagram showing Janette running across a sandy beach before leaping into Aljaz’s arms. Aljaz captioned the post: “Happy Anniversary Bučka! Always here to catch you. Specially on a beautiful beach on holidays.” Janette wrote: “Happy Anniversary Bučko. I’ll fly into your arms always and forever. I love you.”
The pair are currently on holiday with their daughter Lyra, enjoying time together before Aljaz returns to the Strictly ballroom for the 2026 series.
Janette’s Departure from Strictly
Last month, Janette confirmed she is “no longer a part” of Strictly Come Dancing or It Takes Two, 13 years after she first joined as a professional dancer. In a YouTube video, she said: “Strictly Come Dancing has changed hugely, and I am no longer a part of It Takes Two or the main show. I’ll still be involved in other ways. But that just means that I’m free to pursue many other projects that I’ve always wanted to do. Strictly is all I’ve known for the last 14 years so it is a bit like, ‘Oh, we’re going into a different world, a different space, how are we going to navigate that?’”
Strictly Shake-Up Ahead of 2026 Series
Janette’s exit is part of a major overhaul of the show. Long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left at the end of 2025. Professional dancers Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas have also been cut from the line-up. The 2026 series is set to begin in September.
Aljaz, who left Strictly in 2022, returned as a pro in 2024 and reached the final with Tasha Ghouri. He was later paired with La Voix during the most recent series. Despite the changes, he remains part of the pro cast for the upcoming season.
