We could tell from his moves on Strictly Come Dancing that Dr Ranj liked to party – and now we have the photo to prove it! His Strictly dance partner Janette Manrara posted a picture to her Instagram account on Sunday showing her reunion with Ranj at his 40th birthday party on Saturday night.
© Photo: WENNDr Ranj and professional dancer Janette Manrara were paired on Strictly in 2018
The two stars posed holding two silver balloons that marked Ranj's new age – he held the 4 while the professional dancer grinned through the opening of the 0. It looks like they had a great time, and Janette's caption confirms it. She wrote: "Last night was EPIC! What an incredible 40th birthday celebration for one of my favourites, @drranj! It was a room filled w/ so much love for this amazing man! And of course... it was #Fireball themed! Haha! What a GREAT night! #ranj40 #Happy40th [fire emoji]"
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Her followers were clearly shocked – not that Janette was part of the special occasion, but that the baby-faced doctor was hitting the big four-oh. One commented: "Noooooo way is this gorgeous human 40 years old," another wrote, "Can’t possibly be 40," while a third added a literary reference, saying, "No way 40??? I don't believe it. Dr Ranj must have a portrait in the attic," a reference to the Oscar Wilde classic, The Picture of Dorian Grey.
Dr Ranj juggles his media work with his NHS practice – and having fun
The incredulous responses do have a point: it's not actually Ranj's birthday until Wednesday but the hard-working doctor is unlikely to want to party on a weeknight. He presents Save Money: Good Health with Sian Williams and is the resident doctor on This Morning, having made his name on the BAFTA award-nominated CBeebies show Get Well Soon, which he co-created. He's also still a doctor in the NHS, specialising in children's emergency medicine.
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Somehow he fit Strictly Come Dancing into his busy schedule in 2018, when he and Janette wowed crowds with his enthusiastic embrace of the jive, salsa, cha-cha and other Latin and ballroom favourites. But his below-bar samba made him the sixth celebrity to leave the show, although judges agonised over who to send home: he and Janette or EastEnders actor Charles Venn and Karen Clifton.
Looks like he and Janette have put it behind them and are just as happy to dance up a storm without being scored.
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