Janette Manrara confirms exit from Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two

Janette Manrara has confirmed that she has left as host of Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two after five years.

The 42-year-old took over from Zoe Ball on the BBC Two weekday spinoff in 2021, having previously spent eight years as a professional dancer on the main show.

In 2023 she was joined as a co-host by Fleur East, who herself was a contestant on the previous year’s series, finishing as a runner-up.

This year Strictly is undergoing a huge overhaul, with new presenters and dancers – and previous reports have suggested that It Takes Two is also being shaken up as it transforms into a vodcast-style format, made popular by the likes of The Traitors: Uncloaked and The Apprentice: Unfinished Business.

Posting a video to Instagram, Manrara told fans: “Strictly Come Dancing has changed hugely and I am no longer a part of It Takes Two or the main show.

“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. 

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

East, who is also expected to leave, has yet to comment on her future with the show.