Strictly star Janette Manrara admits she 'sobbed for weeks' after being 'rejected' from hosting job
The pro dancer was in the running for the coveted jobJanette Manrara has revealed she “sobbed for weeks” after missing out on Strictly Come Dancing’s main presenting role.
Speaking on Jamie Laing’s Good Company podcast, she described it as the “biggest rejection” of her career. She believed her experience across the franchise gave her a strong chance of landing the job.
Her years across Strictly as a dancer and presenter convinced her that she was a serious contender.
Instead, Johannes Radebe was chosen alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe for the new team.
The auditions followed Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s departure from the show’s presenting roles. Although nervous, Janette said positive feedback after her chemistry test left her feeling confident.
Janette Manrara believed she was a ‘frontrunner’ for Strictly hosting role
Janette spent eight years as a Strictly professional before moving into television presenting.
She then hosted It Takes Two for five years and the Strictly live tour for five years. On tour, she said she filled both Tess and Claudia’s roles while working with the judges and couples.
That track record made her believe: “I felt like I was a frontrunner.” She also said she was told she had performed “really well” during the chemistry tests.
The decision to choose another line-up therefore felt sudden and difficult to process.
Janette admitted she felt “devastated” by the outcome.
She said: “I remember coming home and it was a really hard pill to swallow… I sobbed for weeks. I’m not going to even begin to lie. I was devastated.”
Janette Manrara reflects on the rejection
Janette said she allowed herself to “grieve”, knowing previous rejection had taught her those feelings would pass.
She also challenged any feeling that the role should automatically have been hers. Janette accepted that nobody was owed a job or position.
The presenter acknowledged that television can change quickly, making career decisions hard to predict or take personally.
Zoe Ball and Fleur East, who also missed the role, became part of her support network. She said they had spoken often and compared their reactions to the “seven stages of grief”.
Those conversations helped her recognise the disappointment without letting it define her recent work.
Reflecting on her progress, Janette highlighted the presenting roles gained since leaving the professional dancer line-up. She now believes the audition itself showed how far her television career has developed.
Janette Manrara praises Johannes Radebe
Days after learning she had lost out, Janette discovered Johannes would join the new three-presenter line-up.
She contacted her fellow Strictly dancer and expressed how happy she was for him. Janette praised his hard work and said his place on Saturday night primetime television was powerful.
Read more: Emma Willis shares message to Strictly fans following backlash over new hosting trio
Johannes replied with his own message. According to Janette, Johannes said something along the lines of: “I just want to thank you for paving the way to show that dancers are more than dancers on Strictly.”
His words recognised Janette’s route from professional dancing into television presenting.
Despite the initial hurt, she said she had reached the other side. Janette remains hopeful that another television opportunity will follow.
Strictly Come Dancing continues at 6.15pm on BBC One on Saturday October 3, 2026.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
