Janette Manrara may have left the Strictly but she's still close to her former co-stars, as she proved once again on Wednesday.
On Instagram, the mum-of-one prompted plenty of comments after she and her husband, Aljaz Skorjancec, who also danced to fame on the BBC series, reunited with two beloved co-stars and their baby.
Janette shared a series of heart-melting photos of the couple's outing with their friends Gorka Marquez and Gemma Atkinson and their baby son Thiago, who, like Lyra, was born last summer.
The star wrote alongside the images: "Good times seeing these guys for brunch today! Lyra and Tio are already the best of mates. Thanks for looking after us @cibowilmslow #GranCafe."
Janette looked delighted in one snap that showed her with Thiago on her knee, with the tiny tot sweetly dressed in dungarees and a red striped top, while another adorable photo showed the two babies gazing at each other in fascination and a third showed Gorka and Aljaz walking together as the doting dads pushed their children's pushchairs and did a thumbs-up for Janette's camera.
© Mike Marsland/WireImageThe It Takes Two co-host's fans rushed to share their love for the pictures, with one writing: "Omg how gorgeous is this." Others chimed in: "Cute and love that they both started to crawl the same week" and: "I adore seeing you all together."
Janette has kept her fans updated on life as a mum since Lyra was born on 28 July at London’s Portland Hospital. The 40-year-old elected to have a Caesarean section on medical advice, because of her petite frame – and with two performers for parents, their baby girl’s arrival was suitably theatrical.
© Instagram"It was the most perfect day," Janette recalled in an exclusive interview with HELLO!. "We had a playlist, and Aljaz and I had a little slow dance before we went into theatre.
"All morning we had been humming the song Little Bitty Pretty One and that was the song we chose for her to be born to. There was a screen over my tummy, but as she came out, the doctors offered to drop it so I could watch.
© Instagram"It was literally like a cue to a performance: the music started, the curtain dropped and out she came, onto the stage of life. It was the most beautiful, emotional moment; Aljaz and I were both crying. We were in heaven."
Strictly stars and their children
- Strictly pro Gorka Marquez and former Strictly contestant Gemma Atkinson share two children, Mia and Thiago.
- Strictly: It Takes Two host Janette Manrara and her dancer husband Aljaz Skorjanec are parents to baby girl Lyra.
- Strictly winners Kevin Clifton and Stacey Dooley welcomed baby Minnie in January 2023.
- Former Strictly pros James and Ola Jordan share a daughter, Ella.
- Former pro Pasha Kovalev and Rachel Riley share two daughters, Maven and Noa.
- Strictly judge and ex-pro Anton du Beke and his wife Hannah share adorable twins George and Henrietta.
- Former Strictly star Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Bella became parents to son Matteo in July 2000.
- Professional dancer Natalie Lowe and her husband James Knibbs welcomed their son Jack in December 2020.
- Ben Cohen and former Strictly dancer Kristina Rihanoff met in series 11 and now share a daughter, Milena.
- Ex-Strictly pro Brendan Cole and his wife Zoe Hobbs are parents to Aurelia and Dante.
She continued: "Our playlist was on shuffle, and as they wrapped Lyra up and brought her over for me to see, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face started playing. I just couldn’t believe it.
© Instagram"Seeing her for the first time was magical. You hear about it, but until you experience it, you don't understand how deep that love is, from the first moment, when you see that baby in your arms. It’s an exceptional feeling."
Doting dad Aljaz, who cut the umbilical cord, agreed. "I never thought I could love anyone or anything as much as Janette, but when you see your child for the first time, it’s something else," he said.
