Janette Manrara has finally spoken out amid growing speculation about her future on Strictly Come Dancing.
The beloved BBC star has found herself at the centre of rumours in recent months, as the glittering Saturday night favourite faces talk of a major cast shake-up.
Reports previously suggested both Janette and Fleur East could be dropped from It Takes Two — claims the BBC firmly denied at the time.
Now, Janette has addressed the chatter directly, offering a candid — if slightly cryptic — update on what’s next.
Janette Manrara on Strictly future
Janette first joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer back in 2013, before stepping into her role as co-host of It Takes Two in 2021. Fleur East joined the spin-off show in 2023.
Appearing on BBC Breakfast this week alongside husband Aljaž Škorjanec, Janette was asked the question on fans’ minds: will she be back for the 2026 series?
Her response left plenty open to interpretation.
“I don’t know, we’ll have to wait and find out. I think everyone at the moment is on standby, so we’ll see what happens… That’s showbiz!” she said.
Despite the uncertainty, Janette made it clear the show itself isn’t going anywhere.
“Strictly is definitely coming back, we can say that. I’m assuming we’ll have a couple of new professionals and a couple of new presenters as well,” she added.
Janette on working on Strictly
Janette also took a moment to reflect on just how much the show has meant to her — both professionally and personally.
“We’re very lucky, the show has given us this beautiful platform to be able to go off and do the tours that we do and we don’t take it for granted,” she explained.
“And in my opinion, and I think Aljaž will agree, it’s the best entertainment show on telly. I’m just so happy that it’s been a part of our lives for so many years.”
She continued: “We were just dating when we started the show. During the show we got married, we became parents and it’s just been phenomenal.”
Strictly shake-up
Behind the scenes, changes are already underway ahead of the 2026 series. It’s been widely reported that long-time hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are set to step down, with the BBC said to be considering several replacements.
Meanwhile, the professional dancer line-up is also shifting. Michelle Tsiakkas is the latest to exit, following Luba Mushtuk, Nadiya Bychkova and Karen Hauer out of the ballroom.
Read more: Emotional reason Bradley Walsh ‘can’t host’ Strictly Come Dancing
What do you think of this story? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know