Janette Manrara left her presenting role on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two in 2026, but her connection with Strictly continues. She has been confirmed as the host of the 2027 live arena tour, making her departure from television different from a complete farewell to the franchise.
Her story involves several separate developments: stepping down as a competing professional dancer, moving into presenting, leaving the companion programme and missing out on a main-show hosting opportunity. More recently, she has expanded her acting career.
Understanding those changes explains why headlines about her leaving Strictly can appear alongside reports announcing her return.
Has Janette Manrara Left Strictly?
Janette confirmed in June 2026 that she was no longer part of the regular presenting line-up on It Takes Two. However, she will return to host the Strictly live tour in 2027.
The distinction is between television and live entertainment. Hosting an arena production is a separate job from presenting the companion programme or competing with a celebrity partner.
Her first major role change came in 2021, when she stepped down as a professional partner to become a presenter. The 2026 announcement concerned the end of that later position.
It is therefore accurate to say that she has left It Takes Two. Saying that she has ended every connection with Strictly would overlook her confirmed touring work.
Why Did She Leave It Takes Two?
Janette linked her departure announcement to substantial changes within Strictly. In a YouTube video reported in June 2026, she explained that she was no longer part of the companion programme or the main television show.
She also discussed having the freedom to explore other projects. However, her announcement did not provide a full account of the production discussions or contractual decisions behind the change.
Later newspaper reports described her as having been dropped from the programme. That wording should be distinguished from a detailed explanation supplied by Janette or the BBC.
Earlier in 2026, the BBC had denied reports that she and fellow presenter Fleur East had been axed. Those statements preceded Janette’s eventual confirmation.
The chronology matters: an earlier denial reflected the position being communicated at that stage. Her subsequent announcement established that her previous role had ended.
There is no need to attach an unconfirmed personal dispute or private motive to the departure.
What Did She Say About Missing Out on the Main Presenting Job?
Janette later discussed the disappointment of missing out on a presenting position on the main Strictly Come Dancing programme.
Her appearance on Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast, released in late September 2026, addressed both leaving the companion show and losing out on the hosting opportunity. The episode’s official description identifies professional rejection and her next career chapter as central subjects.
Coverage of the interview reported that she had considered herself a strong candidate because of her experience across the franchise. She had worked as a professional dancer, presented It Takes Two and hosted the live tour.
She described the decision as deeply upsetting. Nevertheless, her disappointment about the main presenting job is a separate issue from the end of her existing position.
That distinction gives the story greater clarity. She was dealing with the loss of a familiar role while also missing out on an opportunity she had hoped would become her next step.
Who Replaced Her on It Takes Two?
Ellie Taylor was announced as the new It Takes Two presenter in August 2026, succeeding the previous team of Janette Manrara and Fleur East.
Taylor brought her own Strictly experience to the appointment. She competed in the 2022 series with professional partner Johannes Radebe.
Her appointment concerned the companion programme, rather than the main weekend competition. Reports covering several presenting changes at once can make those roles easy to confuse.
For readers wondering why Janette no longer appears in her familiar presenting position, this is the relevant change: the companion programme moved forward with a new host.
A tour announcement does not reverse that television appointment. The programmes and live production have distinct presenting arrangements.
Her Confirmed Return to the Strictly Live Tour
Janette will host the 2027 Strictly Come Dancing live arena tour. The official tour website confirms her return alongside judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood.
The announced tour runs from 22 January to 14 February 2027. It begins in Birmingham and finishes at London’s O2, with further stops around the UK.
This development changes how her departure should be described. Her regular companion-show role ended, but she remains involved in an established Strictly production.
For audiences, the difference is straightforward. A television presenter guides viewers through a broadcast. A live-tour host leads an arena event, introduces performances and helps connect the dancers, judges and audience.
The confirmed return also provides a more complete picture than headlines focused entirely on professional disappointment. Her work within the wider franchise continues in a different setting.
Why Did Janette Stop Competing as a Professional Dancer?
Janette stepped down from the professional partner role in 2021 to join It Takes Two. Her appointment was announced on The One Show on 10 June that year.
She replaced Zoe Ball and initially shared presenting duties with Rylan Clark. Fleur East later joined the presenting team.
The move changed her responsibilities while keeping her close to the programme. Instead of teaching a celebrity partner and preparing competitive routines, she interviewed participants and discussed their progress.
Contemporary coverage described her mixed emotions about the transition. Presenting offered a new opportunity, but accepting it meant leaving a familiar part of her working life.
Her final competitive series took place in 2020. This explains why some career summaries mention that year, while others identify 2021 as her departure date. One records her final competition; the other records the announcement of her new role.
What Is Janette Manrara Doing Now?
As of October 2026, Janette’s professional work includes stage acting and preparations for her announced return as a live-tour host.
Her projects include Affluenza at London’s Riverside Studios. The production began its run in September 2026 as part of the venue’s Mainstage season.
The acting role extends a career that already included substantial stage experience. It also gives a concrete answer to questions about what followed her presenting departure.
Her move towards theatre did not begin only after leaving It Takes Two. She had already been developing that side of her work.
In 2025, she made her musical theatre debut as Roxie Hart in the UK and Ireland tour of Chicago. Earlier credits included Burn the Floor and touring productions with her husband, Aljaž Škorjanec.
These projects show a gradual expansion across performance disciplines. Dancing, presenting and acting have overlapped rather than forming completely separate chapters.
Janette and Her Husband Aljaž Škorjanec
Janette is married to Slovenian professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec. Their relationship and shared dance projects are closely associated with their public careers.
They have performed together in touring productions, giving audiences opportunities to see them beyond the television competition.
However, their professional positions should be treated individually. Janette leaving a presenting role does not automatically change Aljaž’s employment, and his competition results do not determine her future appointments.
This matters when related headlines appear together. A report about Janette supporting her husband after an elimination concerns his progress in a particular series. It is separate from the circumstances of her own departure.
For an article focused on her career, their shared stage work provides useful context without turning unrelated family coverage into an explanation for a television decision.
Why Departure and Comeback Headlines Can Both Be Accurate
The apparent contradiction comes from using “Strictly” to describe several different jobs.
Janette has worked as a competing professional, a companion-show presenter and an arena-tour host. Each position has its own responsibilities and appointment process.
Leaving one does not necessarily mean leaving the others permanently. Equally, returning to one does not confirm a return to every previous position.
The clearest summary of the Janette Manrara Strictly exit is therefore specific: her regular It Takes Two presenting role ended in 2026, while her involvement with the live tour continues through the confirmed 2027 production.
That description accounts for both the departure and the return without implying an unannounced television comeback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Janette left It Takes Two?
Yes. She confirmed her departure in June 2026. Ellie Taylor was subsequently announced as the new presenter.
Why is she no longer a competing Strictly professional?
She stepped down in 2021 to take up the presenting opportunity on It Takes Two. Her final competitive series was in 2020.
Was her departure connected to missing out on the main hosting job?
They are separate developments. She left her existing presenting role and later discussed her disappointment at not securing a position on the main programme. The public reporting does not establish every private decision connecting those events.
Is she returning to Strictly?
She is confirmed as the host of the 2027 live arena tour. This is a live-entertainment appointment rather than a return to her former companion-show position.
Who replaced the previous presenting team?
Ellie Taylor succeeded Janette Manrara and Fleur East on It Takes Two.
What acting work has she done?
Her work includes playing Roxie Hart in Chicago and appearing in Affluenza at Riverside Studios.
Who is Janette’s husband?
She is married to professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec. They have also worked together on stage productions.
Conclusion
Janette Manrara’s departure marks a change in her television career, while her wider relationship with Strictly continues. She left It Takes Two in 2026, later spoke about the disappointment of missing out on the main presenting job and has been confirmed as the host of the 2027 arena tour. Alongside that work, her acting projects have expanded an established stage career. The important distinction is between her former regular television position and her continuing live-performance commitments. Keeping those roles separate explains the departure and return headlines clearly, while giving a fuller picture of what she is doing next.
