Strictly Come Dancing’s Janette Manrara And Aljaž Škorjanec Have Welcomed Their First Child

Janette Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec

Strictly Come Dancing stars Janette Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec have announced the birth of their first child.

The couple revealed their happy news in a sweet Instagram post shared over the weekend, confirming that they had welcomed a daughter named Lyra Rose.

The black and white snap showed a smiling Janette in a hospital bed, cradling her daughter, while a beaming Aljaž leaned over them.

In the short caption, the pair confirmed their newborn’s full name, Lyra Rose Škorjanec, and revealed that she was born on 28 July.

Janette and Aljaž’s Strictly co-stars were quick to share congratulatory messages, with dance show judge Motsi Mabuse writing: “A start of a very very special and unique time. I am certain this little angel has chosen the perfect parents.”

Gorka Marquez, who recently became a father for the second time after welcoming son Thiago with partner Gemma Atkinson earlier this month, shared a string of heart-eye emojis and wrote: “So gorgeous!!!”

Fellow pro Dianne Buswell hailed the news as “so so exciting”, while Amy Dowden described the snap as “Utter perfection”.

Plenty of former Strictly contestants shared celebratory comments on the couple’s post, too, with 2022 champion Hamza Yassin writing: “Congratulations you both you guys, I am very happy for you both.”

Former Great British Bake Off star John Whaite, who reached the Strictly final in 2021 with Johannes Radebe, said: “Congratulations you lovely humans.”

Soap star and 2022 contestant Kym Marsh added: “Omg!!!! This is EVERYTHING!!!! Huge congrats xxx.”

In a heartwarming Instagram Story, Aljaž shared another photo showing him smiling at his daughter in her cot.

“Love at every sight,” he wrote. “I haven’t moved today.”

Janette and Aljaž met in 2010 while performing in the stage show Burn The Floor, and both joined Strictly for its eleventh season in 2013, which Aljaž eventually won with celebrity partner Abbey Clancy.

They got engaged in 2015, after Aljaž proposed in the same dance studio where they first met, and got married in 2017.

The couple announced their baby back in February, and revealed that Janette had become pregnant just before they had been due to start IVF treatment, having struggled to conceive for two years.

“It’s a little miracle how we got here,” Aljaž told OK! “It’s hard mentally, it’s hard physically,” he added. “It’s a big test. The struggles some people go through to fall pregnant – I’m just amazed by women.”

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