Strictly star Janette Manrara claims she was doubted by her co-stars when she joined the show.
The professional dancer, 40, first joined the cast of the BBC dancing competition back in 2013, and immediately made her mark on the dancefloor. But some of her co-stars had reportedly been asking questions of her abilities behind closed doors, mostly due to her lack of experience.
It Takes Two host Janette revealed that when she began her career on the show, some of the professionals had doubted her abilities. She was particularly hit by allegations that she had no experience in the Ballroom Latin styles, which she later found out from people “behind the scenes”.
READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing star refused to let BBC cameras into rehearsals and told crew to leave
Click for more brilliant Daily Star showbiz stories
The mum-of-one spoke about her experience in the early days of Strictly as she launched her book Tiny Dancer, Big World. Speaking to the Metro newspaper, Janette recalled she was initially thrilled to be joining the cast.
(Image: PA)
“It was my first year on Strictly, I really wanted the job,” she said.
“I didn’t think I would ever get the job because I didn’t compete in Ballroom Latin. I didn’t have all the titles that the rest of the dancers had on the show.
“So when I actually got the job, I thought, ‘My gosh, this is the best thing in the world.'”
In her first series, the dancer was paired with legendary fashion designer Julien Macdonald, though the pair did not last very long – as the couple were voted off in the third week. It was during this time that she met Slovenian professional Aljaz Skorjanec, who would go on to become her partner away from the dancefloor.
(Image: Press Association Images)
She explained that even though she was put to the test with Julien’s lack of dancing talent, she was ready to give it a go. “I always felt I knew I could dance and I knew I could teach, and I knew I could choreograph, I know I can,” she insisted.
“But when you get put on that level of exposure with everyone waiting for you to fail, because I had heard whispers from other professionals and other people behind the scenes, ‘She’s never going to do well. She’s going to be awful. She’s not even a Ballroom Latin dancer. How is she ever going to do this?'”
Janette said that while she started to believe the critics on the show, her darling partner and now-hubby Aljaz was there to set her straight. She confessed that at the time she felt she was “not good enough” to be on the show, but she was able to get through it with Aljaz by her side.
(Image: PA)
Aljaz has now returned to the dancefloor for the latest series of the controversial competition, with Janette taking to the sister show It Takes Two, which will air each Wednesday. However, she insisted that whilst she hosts, she will be rooting for her husband, as she does not wish to play favourites with the other contestants.
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
