Janette Manrara not allowed to 'touch' husband Aljaz as Strictly impose tough new rules

Janette Manrara, 36, is currently living away from her dancer husband Aljaz Skorjanec while working on this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing, due to the programme’s coronavirus measures. She said the most difficult part of being isolated from her spouse of ten years, is that when she does see him around the BBC studios, her instinct is to “touch him” but unfortunately due to the imposed regulations this is not permitted.

Janette said of Aljaz: “I do see him around the studio. The hardest bit is when I do see him, my instinct is to run and hug him, but, of course, I can’t touch him.

“We’ve been together ten years almost, so it’s a good thing those butterflies are still there.

“But it’s so frustrating I can’t do anything with those butterflies.

“Thank God for FaceTime. I put the phone up on the side of the bed and we just chat while I give my legs a rub — because they are sore from the jive,” she added to The Sun.

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In the past, the couple have spoken of their gruelling work schedule which results in them spending extended periods apart.

Janette revealed: “With Strictly Come Dancing, it’s seven days a week straight through, and then the other six months of the year, we’re normally touring, so again we’re non-stop.

“We’re never really home, we only come home to repack and then leave again.”

However, during the recent lockdown forcing the closures of theatres indefinitely, and many in creative industries saw their wages reduced or stopped.

Janette continued: “So although yes financially it was tough, we did lose three tours this year.

“Financially, and psychologically and physically for the two of us to have all this time at home it was never possible really because of the schedule we have,” she added on the Steths, Drugs & Rock’ n’ Roll podcast hosted by Dr Ranj Singh.

This year Strictly will have a much shorter run time than previous years, to cut down the number of people involved and reduce the number of bubbles needing to be formed.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One this Saturday at 7.25pm.

source: express.co.uk