Janette Manrara, Strictly Come Dancing legend and now bona fide author, interrupts our chat in a hushed whisper, gesturing at the floor. “Oh my gosh, would you look at that?” There, at her feet, is her beautiful one-year-old daughter, Lyra, curled into a little ball on the soft carpet, sleeping soundly.
The tot, who Janette shares with her husband, Strictly pro Aljaž Škorjanec, has been impeccably behaved throughout our exclusive at-home shoot and, up until about 30 seconds before, was cooing and laughing with her doting mum.
But as we settle down for a cuppa, Lyra’s out for the count. “She couldn’t even wait for her bed,” Janette, 40, laughs. “Too much excitement!” Indeed it’s been a whirlwind of a day – and month – for Janette, who has just released her new bookTiny Dancer Big World, a self-help manual of sorts that draws from her own life experiences.
It’s an enlightening, emotional read and Janette, who was a pro dancer on the show between 2013 and 2021, doesn’t hold back when discussing some of the toughest times of her life.
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