Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova has proudly thrown her support behind co-star Janette Manrara - to congratulate her on a huge new role.
Fans of the long-running BBC dance competition have watched Nadiya, 35, waltz, skip and cha cha cha her way across the ballroom since joining the show in 2017. While 41-year-old Janette worked as a professional dancer on the show from 2013 until 2020 before graduating to be the host of companion show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two in 2021.
Now it has been revealed that Janette has secured a new giant job for 2025 as she is swapping the It Takes Two sofa for the stage. Fans will be able to see Janette take on the role of Roxie Hart in a new production of the hit musical Chicago.
The musical is set to debut in March and will tour across the UK and Ireland - with dates set to keep her acting, dancing and singing on stage until the end of August. It is unclear if the contract could impact her appearance on the BBC show - but the dancer has won the support of her co-star.
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Instagram)Taking to Instagram Stories, Janette proudly revealed her new role, writing: "I have news... Extra extra! Big news for Foxy Roxie! The dazzling Janette Manrara will be joining the #ChicagoUKTour as Roxie Hart from 3rd March!"
And Nadiya helped her spread the announcement by reporting the update with a statement of her own. She wrote: "Couldn't be more proud and excited about my dear friend @jmanrara. Love you lots! Congratulations."
During the 2024 season of Strictly, Nadiya was partnered with Olympic swimmer Tom Dean - and they suffered the indignity of being the first stars to be voted off the show. The setback appeared to hit Nadiya hard at the time as she declared online following their elimination: "I really appreciate all the messages but I’m not ready to talk about what happened tonight just yet."
Her reaction provoked speculation from fans that she would quit the show, with one predicting via Reddit last November: "I truly believe a lot of the pros will end up leaving after this year for various reasons: Nadiya - inevitable, she seems p***ed at her treatment this year and years priors and the whole awkwardness with Kai press doesn't help, I think they'll have to give her a sure fire finalist e.g. Sam Thompson (almost certain he'll be on next year) to stay but that seems unlikely."
Janette, who married Strictly professional Aljaž Škorjanec in 2017 and shares one-year-old daughter Lyra Rose with him, has been encouraged by fans over her new Chicago role. One wrote on Reddit: "She'll be excellent, I'm sure." And another typed: "Well done Janette for getting this gig!"
Janette's casting news comes after she previously discussed the fact she was able to take her foot off the gas a little after landing her It Takes Two hosting role. Admitting she is a "workaholic", she said: "I’m a dancer and my body is my tool, so the decision to have a child was a big one, as it meant putting me out of work for at least a year, maybe two, who knows?
"When I became a presenter on It Takes Two, I felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. 'Ok, now we can start a family and not stress because now I can work without needing my body physically as much as I used to'."
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