The year is heading towards its close as the 2021 series of Strictly Come Dancing is now underway and now that the Week One Strictly Come Dancing songs and dances have been performed, we have the first Strictly 2021 leaderboard to look at - and it was a very good opening night for some!

Advertisement

All of the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up had a relatively good opening night and there seem to be some strong bonds between the celebs and the dancers already. But one professional dancer is missing from the ballroom this year - Janette Manrara.

But Janette remains part of the Strictly club and has moved over to a new exciting role - and here is all you need to know about it.

Why is Janette not on Strictly this year?

janette rylan it takes two

Zoe Ball stepping down from her hosting role on the Strictly spin-off, It Takes Two, left a vacancy to fill alongside co-host Rylan Clark-Neal and it's Janette who landed the job!

It does mean she won't be using her exceptional dancing skills in the ballroom, but she will be sharing her expertise with us on the sister show.

More like this

What has she said about leaving Strictly?

Janette spoke about her new hosting gig ahead of the start of the series, saying: "It’s a dream come true to become part of the It Takes Two team! Although it’s impossible to fill in the shoes of a legend like Zoe Ball, I hope to make her and all of the Strictly fans proud. I will miss dancing on that iconic dance floor weekly, but I'm forever grateful to continue being a part of the Strictly Come Dancing family!”

Janette made an appearance at the end of the first night of live shows where she chatted with Claudia about her new role and it seems it's one she is already loving.

Advertisement

Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One on Saturdays and Sundays. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement