There’s no curse on me!
Janette reveals why Aljaz won’t be tempted
HER fiance is paired with hot model Daisy Lowe.
But Strictly dance pro Janette Manrara, 32, says she has no fears over becoming a victim of the infamous Strictly curse.
The so- called curse has been blamed for numerous relationship break-ups.
Countdown’s Rachel Riley and rugby star Ben Cohen are just two celebs who subsequently ended up with their dance pro.
And despite being happily married, last year’s champion Aliona Vilani had to endure speculation about her closeness to pop star celebrity partner Jay McGuiness.
But Janette has told The Sunday Post hunky fellow dancer Aljaz Skorjanec will never be tempted.
“Anyone who assumes anything would happen between either of us and anyone else really doesn’t know us,” insists Janette, who is paired with DJ Melvin Odoom.
“We just laugh those stories off.
“Aljaz gets on well with Melvin and I love Daisy – we’ve already been to dinner a few times.
“Rumours of curses are something we don’ t pay any attention to. We’re in love and are getting married next year.”
Melvin is putting in seven- hour sessions with Janette each day after the 4.30am rise for his Kiss FM breakfast show.
“He still has a smile on his face at the end of each day when his feet are killing him,” reveals Janette, who’ll be tour i ng Scotland next May with Aljaz with their own show, Remembering Fred.
“He’s picking up the steps but he’ s struggling with the technique.
“I know he doesn’t really like it, but we spend a lot of time walking round the room doing it over and over again.
“I don’t know how well we’ll do because everyone is so good.
“I really couldn’t say who’ll go out in week one and who’ll reach the final.”
After a three- week break, Strictly is back on Friday and Saturday with all 15 celebrities dancing for the first time.
This will be the last series with head judge Len Goodman with dancer Anton Du Beke and former judge Arlene Phillips mooted as potential replacements on the panel. Janette says the experience, not the gender, of the new judge, is the important thing.
“It’ll be sad to see him go but you had Bruce Forsyth leave and Tess and Claudia took over – and the show’s the most successful it’s ever been.
“The same will happen with someone bringing a new dynamic. It would be nice to have someone who enjoys traditional ballroom and Latin dancing in the same way as Len.
“I don’t think it would make a difference if it was a man or a woman.”
Losing the Great British Bake Off leaves Strictly as the jewel in the BBC’s entertainment crown.
But Janette is adamant that they’ll relish the attention.
“It’s sad to see Bake Off go as it was such an institution,” she adds.
“We’ll miss our sister show rather than thinking we’re the number one.
“Strictly is so well put together it always felt like one of the biggest shows on the BBC anyway.”
Strictly Come Dancing, BBC 1, Friday, 9pm.