Janette Manrara confirms strictly exit after 14 years, says “reality has started to hit”

After 14 glittering years under the Strictly Come Dancing spotlight, Janette Manrara is hanging up her It Takes Two microphone — and stepping into the unknown.

“I Am No Longer a Part of It Takes Two or the Main Show”

In an emotional video posted to her YouTube channel this week, the 42-year-old confirmed what many fans had feared since rumors of a BBC shakeup began swirling: she’s officially out. “Strictly Come Dancing has changed hugely, and I am no longer a part of It Takes Two or the main show,” Manrara said. “Reality has started to hit”.

The news follows The Sun’s report earlier this year that both Manrara and co-host Fleur East had been axed from the BBC Two spin-off as part of a “radical” overhaul ahead of the 2026 series. Manrara had fronted It Takes Two since 2021, first with Rylan Clark and then with East from 2023.

14 Years of Sequins, Samba, and Sisterhood

Manrara’s Strictly journey began in 2013 when she joined as a professional dancer. Over seven seasons she partnered celebrities including Peter Andre, Aston Merrygold, Melvin Odoom and Dr Ranj Singh. She hung up her competitive dance shoes in 2020, married fellow pro Aljaž Škorjanec in 2017, and transitioned to presenting — becoming a fan favorite on the nightly companion show.

“Strictly is all I’ve known for the past 14 years,” she reflected. “So it is a bit like, ‘Oh, we’re going into a different world, a different space, how are we going to navigate that?’”

The BBC’s Big “Bloodbath”

Manrara’s exit is part of sweeping changes at Elstree. Main show hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down last year, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe confirmed as their 2026 replacements. Five pro dancers — Karen Hauer, Gorka Marquez, Nadiya Bychkova, Luba Mushtuk and Michelle Tsiakkas — have also been cut.

Reports suggest It Takes Two itself may be reborn as a “vodcast” similar to The Traitors: Uncloaked, as BBC bosses chase younger audiences and streaming-friendly formats.

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“A Crazy Shift” Into New Projects

But Manrara insists this isn’t goodbye — it’s a pivot. “I’ll still be involved in other ways. But that just means that I’m free to pursue and do many other projects that I’ve always wanted to do and never really thought about doing”.

She told fans she’s embracing the “huge shift in my career” and plans to document it on YouTube: “I want to bring you on the journey with me and guide you on the madness of it all”. One dream? Celebrity Race Across The World with Aljaž: “We would do well on that show, I think”.

Fans React: “Gutted You Aren’t the New Strictly Presenter”

The reaction was immediate. YouTube comments flooded in: “Sorry to see you leave Strictly, as Bruce would say, you were my favourite,” wrote one fan. Another added: “Gutted you aren’t the new Strictly presenter… too many opportunities waiting for you”.

Last month, Manrara had called the end of her tour with Aljaž “the end of an era,” admitting she didn’t know when they’d dance on stage together again.

What’s Next for Janette?

While her Strictly chapter closes, Manrara isn’t stepping out of the spotlight. She’s already teased more YouTube content, potential stage work, and TV projects outside dance. “Reality is going to hit when I come back from my holiday,” she laughed.

For viewers who’ve watched her grow from a Florida-born Cuban dancer to one of the BBC’s most beloved presenters, it’s the end of a glittering run — and the start of something new. As she signed off: “It’s never ‘goodbye’, but instead ‘until the next time’. In the mean time, there is always time for one… more… DANCE!”