It Takes Two star Janette Manrara has opened up about speaking to Gorka Marquez after he came runner-up in the Strictly Come Dancing finale.
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Chatting to HELLO! For the Strictly Insider, the former dancing pro revealed that she and her husband Aljaz Skorjanec called Gorka after he looked visibly disappointed at losing out of the Glitterball trophy, explaining: "Aljaz and I called him immediately yesterday - we gave him a day to be with his family - but we FaceTimed and said, 'Hats off Gorka, you are one of the ultimate professionals on that show'. To create the magic he made with Helen and help her have the journey that she had."
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She continued: "He’s good. He really missed his little girl Mia and being home with Gemma so I’m sure he’s happy to be back home. But it’s gutting you know, you want to win, everyone wants to win. I think ultimately, like any pro, the main thing is to make sure your celebrity grew and enjoyed themselves. Helen and Gorka walked out of there with their heads held high and they smashed the final."
The presenter added that it would have been a "beautiful" win for the pair, saying: "As a viewer, if they won it would have been beautiful for Helen and Gorka, because Helen had such a journey, and Gorka has been there in the past." However, Janette was full of praise for Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystał on their "well-deserved" win.
Gorka and Helen were runners up in the finale
Speaking about Helen’s journey on the show, Janette added: "Helen, her journey and her confidence, and how much she grew as a human, and Gorka, having been in the final two times before, would have been just as good a winner.
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"This is the difference between a seasoned pro and someone coming in on year one. As a seasoned professional you can take someone like Helen to the final. She came in with a lack of confidence and nerves… Gorka, being the ultimate professional and being there before and during all of the experience, knew how to guide her. He knew how to turn someone who have never danced before into a beautiful dancer."
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