STRICTLY Come Dancing star Janette Manrara and her husband Aljaz Skorjanec ‘cried’ when he was asked to make his big comeback.
The couple both broke down in tears when the BBC called Aljaz, 34, and asked him to return to the show.
Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec ‘cried’ when he was asked back to Strictly[/caption]
Janette says she has ‘fallen in love’ with Aljaz again amid his comeback[/caption]
Janette, who also previously worked as a pro on Strictly, says she and her hubby had both believed neither of them would ever go back after they left.
But just two weeks into Aljaz’s big ballroom comeback and Janette has revealed how it has ‘made her fall in love with him’ all over again.
Speaking to Prima magazine about the day the Beeb phoned Aljaz, Janette said: “We cried when that phone call came.”
She explained: “We made that decision as a family and it was a big, tough decision because, at the time, we thought he would never go back.
“So when these conversations started happening again, all those butterflies we had when we started 11 years ago started coming back.”
The new series of Strictly Come Dancing kicked off almost two weeks ago with its annual launch show.
Last weekend, this year’s 15 celebrities and their pro partners – including Aljaz and Tasha – then took to the dance floor to compete for the first time.
Aljaz and Tasha scored an impressive 30 marks from the judges, which puts them in joint second place with Miranda actress Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola.
JLS star JB Gill and his partner Amy Dowden are currently sitting in first place with a score of 31.
Aljaz had been away from the Strictly dance floor for two years before his return this September.
However, news of his return was marred with some controversy.
The Sun previously told how the Slovenian, 34, agreed to go after a fiery incident on a boozy night out on the 2022 live tour.
The BBC, however, has denied an official complaint was made over the incident.
Janette has not publicly addressed the allegations made against her husband but she has touched upon the claims of abuse made against other stars backstage.
Strictly 2024 Week One Scoreboard
Here’s how the first week scoreboard looked:
- JB and Amy = 31
- Tasha and Aljaz = 30
- Sarah and Vito = 30
- Wynne and Katya = 26
- Montell and Johannes = 26
- Shayne and Nancy = 23
- Jamie and Michelle = 23
- Chris and Dianne = 23
- Sam and Nikita = 21
- Dr Punam and Gorka = 19
- Tom and Nadiya = 18
- Nick and Luba = 18
- Pete and Jowita = 17
- Paul and Karen = 17
- Toyah and Neil = 12
Earlier this year, Italian dancer Giovanni Pernice quit the show over claims made against him by his former partners, including actress Amanda Abbington.
Fellow Italian dancer Graziano Di Prima was dumped by the show for for kicking dance partner Zara McDermott.
Janette told Prima: “Sometimes situations happen that shouldn’t have happened – that’s how the show learns.
“It isn’t a sign of the show falling apart, it’s a sign the show is moving forward and taking the right steps to not just entertain, but make sure everybody involved is enjoying themselves, feeling looked after and protected.”
She added: “In the last 20 years, Strictly has been working hard to make sure it keeps up with the times, entertains and is inclusive.”
Aljaz has been partnered with Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri on Strictly[/caption]
Fellow pro Giovanni Pernice left the show earlier this year[/caption]
Graziano Di Prima was dropped after he kicked partner Zara McDermott last year[/caption]
