Strictly Come Dancing sensation Nadiya Bychkova has enthusiastically cheered on her colleague Janette Manrara as she announced an impressive new position.
Devoted followers have observed Nadiya, at age 35, glide gracefully and perform energetically in the famed BBC dance show since she made her debut in 2017. Meanwhile, Janette, now 41, graced the ballroom as a professional from 2013 until 2020, subsequently elevating to host the show's spin-off, Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, beginning in 2021.
Big news has surfaced that Janette is taking an exciting leap from hosting to headlining; it's been unveiled that she will assume the illustrious role of Roxie Hart in the forthcoming tour of the beloved musical Chicago, set to dazzle audiences from March and crisscross around the UK and Ireland until late August. While its not yet known if this will affect Janettes tenure on Strictly, she has unequivocally obtained Nadiya's vote of confidence.
Janette took to Instagram Stories to exclaim her glee about the venture, stating: "I have news... Extra extra! Big news for Foxy Roxie! The dazzling Janette Manrara will be joining the #ChicagoUKTour as Roxie Hart from 3rd March! ".
Nadiya echoed the celebration on the social media platform, reposting the news with her own joyful pronouncement: "Couldn't be more proud and excited about my dear friend @jmanrara. Love you lots! Congratulations," reports the Mirror.
During the 2024 season of Strictly Come Dancing, Nadiya Bychkova faced the disappointment of being the first to leave alongside her celebrity partner, Olympic swimmer Tom Dean. The professional dancer took the elimination hard, expressing her feelings online: "I really appreciate all the messages but I'm not ready to talk about what happened tonight just yet."
This led to fan speculation that Nadiya might exit the show, with one Reddit user commenting last November: "I truly believe a lot of the pros will end up leaving after this year for various reasons: Nadiya - inevitable, she seems p***ed at her treatment this year and years priors and the whole awkwardness with Kai press doesn't help, I think they'll have to give her a sure fire finalist e.g. Sam Thompson (almost certain he'll be on next year) to stay but that seems unlikely."
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Meanwhile, Janette Manrara, who is married to fellow Strictly pro Aljaz Skorjanec and mother to their one year old daughter Lyra Rose, has been receiving accolades from fans for landing a role in Chicago. Enthusiastic supporters shared their thoughts on Reddit, with one saying: "She'll be excellent, I'm sure."
Another added: "Well done Janette for getting this gig! ".
Janette Manrara had previously spoken about how she was able to slow down her career pace after securing the hosting role on It Takes Two. She confessed to being a "workaholic" and acknowledged that starting a family would mean taking a break from dancing for a considerable amount of time, stating: "I'm a dancer and my body is my tool, so the decision to have a child was a big one, as it meant putting me out of work for at least a year, maybe two, who knows? ".
Becoming a presenter, she recalled feeling a sense of relief, "When I became a presenter on It Takes Two, I felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. 'Ok, now we can start a family and not stress because now I can work without needing my body physically as much as I used to'."
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