Strictly Come Dancing pro Janette Manrara has admitted she felt like “didn’t belong” on the show after secretly battling fears she was an “imposter”.
The pro dancer, 40, who tied the knot to fellow professional Aljaž Škorjanec, 34, in 2017, joined Strictly in 2013 but behind the glitz and glamour that year, she was dealing with imposter syndrome.
It comes as she opens up about her life experiences in her newly-released book Tiny Dancer Big World, which has been described as a “self-help manual of sorts that draws from her own life experiences”.
Janette on her Strictly debut being nothing short of difficult
It Takes Two host Janette told OK!: “My first year on Strictly was very, very tough, not because of the show itself, it was just me, personally. I had imposter syndrome, I felt like I didn’t belong there. I’d just moved to a new country, I was in the dance-off every week, all those feelings of not being enough, doubting myself, feeling like an imposter in a new country, new job, new space, they were eating me up alive, you know?
“And when Aljaž went off to do the live tour that year and I didn’t, I felt very lonely. So that was really tough to navigate. You get thrown into Strictly and you don’t know how big of a machine it is until you’re in it. And you have to hide the fact that you’re struggling. That was hard for me emotionally,” she then added.
Back in 2013, Aljaz won the glitterball trophy with model Abbey Clancy.
Motherhood with Lyra is her greatest achievement
Even though she left the Strictly ballroom in 2022, Janette said she believes her greatest achievement is motherhood with one-year-old Lyra.
She said the tot can say “Mama” and “happy”. She added that she’s “so magical and inquisitive”. Janette added that she’s “just enjoying the journey and watching her develop”.
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However, with Aljaz returning to the show full-time, Janette has said this year will be a struggle.
Read more: Janette Manrara addresses Strictly scandal and admits ‘it hurts my heart’
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