Strictly Come Dancing stars Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec have made a major life change, deciding to leave their idyllic Cheshire home and return to the south.
Just two years after settling into what they described as their “dreamy” home, the couple has opened up about the “stressful” reasons behind their move.
In an interview with The Mirror, Aljaz, 35, admitted that the process has been “absolutely awful,” calling moving home one of the most challenging tasks. “Moving home is one of the last things you want to do, let’s be honest,” he said. The situation was further complicated by the presence of their young daughter, Lyra.
“It’s very stressful, and it takes so much longer with a little one, especially a toddler, because she finds it hilarious opening the boxes, and you don’t want to stop her either,” Aljaz shared.
Cherished Memories and Family Life
The couple’s Cheshire home was filled with special memories, especially those marking Lyra’s early milestones. However, the demands of their careers—Aljaz potentially returning to Strictly and Janette commuting bi-weekly for It Takes Two—began to take a toll on their family life.
Janette explained, “It was a mix of two things. Obviously, we loved being up north and we fell in love with the house because that was the first home that Lyra lived in. A lot of her first moments were all in that house. There were just so many beautiful memories in that house and the people up north are just such incredibly kind, warm, loving people.”
Balancing Work and Family
However, their busy schedules eventually became unsustainable. Janette continued, “We tried it this year with me commuting to London for It Takes Two and Aljaz staying down in London for the whole series of Strictly.
In retrospect, we spent very minimal time together as a family. Lyra and I were traveling up and down twice a week, staying in hotel rooms to try and make it work.”
The move comes just ahead of their upcoming 19-day tour, A Night To Remember. Putting family first, Janette added, “It’s just not feasible for us to do that because the priority is family and spending time together and Lyra’s well-being. That is not going to be sustainable if Aljaz is going back to Strictly, which hopefully he is.”
By relocating closer to London, the couple hopes to give Lyra more stability and normalcy in her life, making family life a bit easier to manage.
