Strictly pro Aljaz shares sacrifice of being kept apart from wife Janette

Strictly Come Dancing star Aljaz Skorjanec said there will be “plenty of hugs and kisses” when he is reunited with his wife and fellow professional dancer Janette Manrara.

The couple has been forced to separate as part of Strictly’s coronavirus safety protocols and will not be able to reunite until they are both eliminated from the show – or one of them is crowned winner.

Slovenian professional dancer Skorjanec, who has been paired with BBC Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo, admitted it has been difficult spending time away from his wife, saying he “can’t do anything” without her and revealing they FaceTime as soon as they wake up.

However, he believes the sacrifice is worth it for Strictly.

Skorjanec said: “I can’t kiss or hug no-one in the world now, and I feel like all of us dancers are so – we’re always happy to see anyone.

“But we are so determined to do our absolute best to make sure that we stay safe, that the show stays safe, that our celebrities stay safe, and that’s really our priority up until the final.

“We’re both focused on the job and there’s going to be plenty of hugs and kisses after Strictly finishes.”

Skorjanec added: “We are both just so happy that Strictly is going ahead this year, and the smallest sacrifice we made is to be apart. We are both so excited to dance again and to work and to teach and to be on the best show on television.”

Skorjanec, 30, married American Manrara, 36, in 2017. She has been paired with singer HRVY for this year’s Strictly.

Skorjanec said their hectic rehearsal schedules make being apart easier.

He said: “I just literally wake up, go to rehearsals, come home and then do it again and Janette does the same. So yeah, we’re really, really focused on the actual job making sure that Clara smashes every single week on the dance floor.”