Why Janette Manrara is leaving 'Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two' after four years as host

Janette Manrara will no longer host 'Strictly Come Dancing' companion show 'It Takes Two', the presenter confirmed in an announcement to her YouTube followers. Manrara, a former professional dancer on the BBC series, suggested the move was part of a major overhaul of the show.

"Strictly Come Dancing has changed hugely, and I am no longer a part of 'It Takes Two' or the main show," she said.She added that she would "still be involved in other ways" without specifying the details, and expressed openness about what comes next. "It just means that I'm free to pursue and do many other projects that I've always wanted to do and never really thought about doing," she said. "'Strictly' is all I've known for the last 14 years, so it is a bit like, 'Oh, we're going into a different world, a different space, how are we going to navigate that?'"

Janette Manrara's history with 'Strictly Come Dancing'

Manrara began as a professional dancer on the main 'Strictly' show in 2013 before replacing Zoe Ball on 'It Takes Two' in 2021, initially joining Rylan as co-host.

When Rylan left the show in 2023, singer and DJ Fleur East, who had competed on the show the previous year, became Manrara's co-host. It remains unknown whether East will also be departing the programme.Earlier this year, The Sun reported that both Manrara and East had been dropped as hosts because bosses wanted "a completely new look and fresh start for the show," with the pair potentially being "repurposed elsewhere."

The wider changes happening at 'Strictly Come Dancing'

Manrara's departure is just one of several significant changes ahead of the 2026 series. Long-time hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have both left the show, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and dancer Johannes Radebe recently announced as their replacements.Several professional dancers have also been axed, including Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Michelle Tisakkis and Luba Mushtuk. Gorka Marquez has also left the show, choosing to become a judge on the Spanish version of the format.Mushtuk, whose ten-year journey with 'Strictly' recently came to a close after her final show on the annual tour, addressed her departure with emotion. "What I've been saying is that the dance we love has to sometimes come to an end, but that doesn't mean the music stops. It means there are new dances waiting to be discovered, new steps to learn and new stories to tell," she told the crowd.With so many familiar faces departing at once, the 2026 series of 'Strictly Come Dancing' is shaping up to look very different from the show audiences have known for years.