Strictly star Janette Manrara was cheered on by a very special fan on Saturday night! The pro dancer received the cutest message from her one-year-old baby niece Zala ahead of the show, and on Tuesday she posted it on Instagram to share with her fans. The little girl was pictured wearing a red tutu and white T-shirt while lying on the floor, and the message accompanying the image read: "Dear auntie Janette. Miss you soo much. Good luck for an amazing weekend on SCD. Your Zala." The adorable little girl is the daughter of Janette's husband and fellow Strictly pro Aljaz Skorjanec's sister Lara. Aljaz – who is also Zala's godfather – received a similar message from the youngster ahead of his dance with celebrity partner Viscountess Emma Weymouth.
Strictly star Janette Manrara got the sweetest message from baby niece Zala
The good luck message certainly paid off, particularly for Janette. The pro and her dance partner Will Bayley received their highest score yet and a standing ovation after their emotional Couple's Choice dance to Lukas Graham's Seven Years, which was inspired by Will’s story about the challenges he faced while growing up.
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Janette and husband Aljaz Skorjanec are both still competing in this year's Strictly
Will – a Paralympic gold medallist table tennis player - was born with arthrogryposis, a genetic condition that causes curvatures in both hands and feet. He had operations on his feet, which broke his bones and reset them, when he was a child, but surgeons were unable to do anything for his hands. At the age of seven, Will was then diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and he spent a lot of time in Great Ormond Street Hospital while his cancer was treated. The emotional backstory along with Will and Janette's performance brought judges Alfonso Riberio and Motsi Mabuse to tears, who both told Will how inspiring he was. The couple received 32 for their dance and were saved by the public's votes, meaning that they will be performing on Saturday's Halloween special.
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Janette has formed a close relationship with Will, and the pair have also been supported by her former dancer partner Dr Ranj, who even came along to cheer them on in the audience during the first live Strictly show in September. On Tuesday morning, meanwhile, the pro dancer was reunited with another former dance partner – Peter Andre – during an appearance on Good Morning Britain.
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