It Takes Two Host Janette Manrara Sets The Record Straight On Her Strictly Future

Janette Manrara has confirmed that she will no longer be presenting the Strictly Come Dancing companion series It Takes Two.

The US performer has been part of the Strictly family since 2013, when she joined as a professional dancer, before stepping down from that role to become the host of spin-off series It Takes Two in 2021.

For the last few months, Janette’s future as part of the BBC franchise has looked uncertain, with bosses previously dismissing claims that she and co-presenter Fleur East had been “axed” as hosts of It Takes Two back in March.

In a recent video update on her YouTube channel, Janette said she was going through a “huge shift” in her career.

“Obviously, Strictly Come Dancing is now changed hugely,” she explained. “I’m now no longer part of It Takes Two or the main show.”

However, she insisted that she’ll “still be involved in other ways”, and said the change means she’s now “free to pursue and do many other projects that I’ve always wanted to do, and never really thought about doing”.

It’s fair to say that the upcoming season of Strictly will look very different to what fans have been used to in the last few years.

Most notably, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have left the show, and been replaced by a new presenting trio, while six long-serving dancers have also left their roles as Strictly pros under various different circumstances ahead of this year’s run.

It’s also been claimed the Strictly studio will be revamped, with The Sun reporting back in April that It Takes Two was being retooled into a visual podcast, in keeping with the BBC’s successful companion shows to The Traitors and Race Across The World, rather than the studio-based format it’s been since its launch.

Janette’s former co-host Fleur East has not yet spoken about whether we can expect to see her back on Strictly this year, but she has made no secret of her disappointment at not being considered to front the main show.