Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara has candidly shared the trials and tribulations she encountered while trying to make it big as a dancer.
The 40-year-old is renowned for her role as a professional dancer on the BBC dance show, before she transitioned to a presenter on spin-off show Strictly: It Takes Two in 2021.
Before gracing the Strictly stage with her husband Aljaz Skorjanec, Janette experienced numerous challenges which she attributes to insecurities and having a “different entry into the world of dance” to her peers.
In her autobiography, Big World, Tiny Dancer, the Cuban-American sensation recounts that unlike her fellow competitors who began dancing at five, she didn’t start her stage career until 18.
Recalling “one important moment” in her journey, she discussed being turned away during the final round of So You Think You Can Dance? auditions, reports the Express.
“I stood among the hopefuls, waiting for the announcement of the chosen twenty dancers who would grace the mainstage. However, the moment that followed shattered my hopes,” she wrote.
“The word ‘no’ echoed through the air, leaving me with a profound sense of rejection. I had come so close, only to be told ‘no’.”
Janette admits that this setback nearly pushed her to abandon her love for dancing, before she thankfully tried again.
“I convinced myself that my late start in dancing rendered me not good enough, that my perceived lack of conventional beauty was a hindrance, that my height was an impossible limitation, that even my Latina identity, marked by a subtle accent, was a roadblock,” she added.
During her second attempt, was praised by judges Mia Michaels and Nigel Lythgoe and secured a place in the top 20.
In the show’s eighth season, she made a comeback as an All Star, performing a Paso Doble with contestant Marko Germar.
The talented dancer joined Strictly in 2013 alongside Aljaz, who clinched victory in his debut year with Abbey Clancy and returned to the dance floor this series.
While she didn’t win the coveted Glitterball trophy with a celebrity partner during her seven-year stint on the show, she came close in 2020 with her final partner HRVY.
In 2021, it was revealed that she would be succeeding Rylan Clark on It Takes Two, co-hosting with Fleur East.
Strictly: It Takes Two kicks off tonight at 6.30pm on BBC Two.