Strictly semi-finalists Janette Manrara and HRVY have scrapped a sexy rumba routine this week because of their 16-year age gap.
Professional Janette, 37, told MailOnline performing a sensual dance with HRVY, 21, ‘didn’t feel right’ as the singer is more like her ‘little brother.’
In an exclusive interview, Janette admitted trying to teach HRVY, who’s been linked to co-star Maisie Smith, 19, this series, to gaze lovingly into her eyes for Saturday night’s ‘mature’ performance has been challenging.
‘We have approached it like a romantic love story’: Strictly semi-finalists Janette Manrara and HRVY have scrapped a sexy rumba routine this week because of their 16-year age gap
Janette told MailOnline: ‘Rumba doesn’t have to be sexy, it can be quite romantic and beautiful and that’s the route HRVY and I have gone for.
‘HRVY and I have approached it more like a romantic love story rather than anything too sensual and sexy because that didn’t feel right!
‘He is young – he’s 21 and the rumba is a very mature dance, especially for a celeb man to have that control and steadiness and calmness, for someone so bubbly and happy like HRVY, was really, really hard.
‘We are friends, he is literally like my little brother, we have become so close over the last few weeks, I absolutely love him – to look into each other’s eyes and be romantic was quite a giggle!
‘We are friends’: Professional Janette, 37, told MailOnline performing a sensual dance with HRVY, 21, ‘didn’t feel right’ as the singer is more like her ‘little brother’
‘I kept saying to him “this is a beautiful love story of Romeo and Juliet out on a beautiful day somewhere” and we have approached it more like that. It is more romantic than anything else.
‘HRVY is quite a hopeless romantic, he writes a lot of his own music, he has the voice of an angel really and he connected to it that way. I am really proud of what he has accomplished with it.’
On Saturday, couples will perform two routines for the judges, with Janette and HRVY dancing the first rumba, known for its sexy hip movements, of the series, along with a Charleston.
Janette has been unable to see her husband and fellow Strictly pro Aljaž Škorjanec, 30, since the BBC show started due to strict coronavirus rules that are in place.
Couples taking part in the competition have formed their own bubbles and have been following government guidelines of social distancing with anyone not in their household.
‘Really hard’: Janette admitted trying to teach HRVY, who’s been linked to co-star Maisie Smith, to gaze lovingly into her eyes for Saturday night’s ‘mature’ performance has been challenging
As a result, Janette and Aljaž, who competed this year with Radio One DJ Clara Amfo, have been unable to live together for months, the longest period of time the couple of ten-years have ever gone not seeing each other.
The professional dancer, who’s starred on Strictly for eight years, has her eyes on the Glitterball trophy – and hopes not to be reunited with her beloved Aljaž until she and HRVY have won the series.
She said: ‘I miss him a lot. Aljaž and I have spent all our lives together, this is the longest time we have ever been apart, not seeing each other or spending time together. In the 10 years we have been together, this is the longest time we have ever spent apart.
‘I told him “I love you baby but I hope I don’t see you until right before Christmas!” Hopefully I won’t see him, I don’t want to see him until after the final.
‘That is something in our future and in our hearts’: Janette revealed she and Aljaž have delayed starting a family together over concerns their careers as dancers will be short lived
‘He’s the same, he’s supportive, ever since he unfortunately left the competition with Clara he’s been nothing but supportive of HRVY and I.
‘Whatever I need, in any shape or form, he’s there for me. He’s such an incredible husband. I can’t wait for the day we can cuddle back at home before Christmas kicks in.’
Janette revealed she and Aljaž have delayed starting a family together over concerns their careers as dancers will be short lived and they need to put all their energies into performing while they can.
She explained: ‘Obviously Aljaž and I definitely want to start a family and we want to have children – that is something in our future and in our hearts.
‘It doesn’t last forever’: The pair, that have been forced to live separately during this year’s series, see children in their future but plan to focus on dancing for as long as possible
‘But the dancer’s career is probably one of the shortest careers that exist because to dance at the level that I’m dancing right now or that Aljaž is, that doesn’t last forever.
‘You want to enjoy every bit of that part of your life as much as you possibly can because it goes away for you.
‘I am on such an incredible wagon right now with Strictly and my husband. We have so much love and support from everyone in the UK and people that like watching our relationship.
‘At the moment, we’re both still very much focused on our careers and doing as much as we can with dancing before we start a family. But that decision will naturally happen for the two of us.’
‘Aston, we left too soon’: Despite being paired with talented celebrity dancers such as JLS star Aston Merrygold, Janette is yet to compete in a Strictly final, which she described as ‘bad luck’
Despite being paired with talented celebrity dancers such as EastEnders actor Jake Wood, 28, and JLS star Aston Merrygold, 32, Janette is yet to compete in a Strictly final, which she described as ‘bad luck.’
She said: ‘Throughout the years I have had some phenomenal partners, every single one of them I still talk to and I still keep in contact with. But I’ve not had great luck.
‘Aston Merrygold – we left too soon, I got to the semi-finals with Jake Wood and I was so close to getting to the final, Peter Andre was incredible to dance with, again, Will Bayley last year had the issue with his knee so we had to pull out. I feel like luck hasn’t been on my side.’
This year, she hopes to go all the way with HRVY, who’s topped the leaderboard several times this series, including last week when performing the American Smooth.
‘If I got to the final I will definitely cry happy tears’: This year, Janette hopes to go all the way with HRVY, who’s topped the leaderboard several times this series
But with HRVY achieving top scores, the pressure is on – and Janette worries his increasing nerves will get the better of him.
Janette said: ‘I love, love, love Strictly Come Dancing – I say that three times. If I got to the final I will definitely cry happy tears.
‘It will be quite a moment for me in my Strictly career. If we had the opportunity to win the Glitterball, wow that would just be the icing on the cake.
‘It would be a wonderful winner for Strictly if HRVY won the show. In a day and age like today, kids especially online, they spend their lives on social media and Instagram and Twitter and YouTube, and HRVY is such an example for all of that generation of what they should aspire to. He really does have a good head on his shoulders.
‘We’ve been doing breathing exercises backstage’: But with HRVY achieving top scores, the pressure is on – and Janette worries his increasing nerves will get the better of him
‘At the beginning of the series he was always quite nervous but now the last couple of weeks, with the final around the corner, he’s getting more and more nervous, bless him, because he wants to stay so badly.
‘He’s been getting sweaty palms and we’ve been doing breathing exercises backstage to stay calm and ready to dance.
‘Even though he’s already performed, it’s a funny thing Strictly Come Dancing, he’s never danced before, and he’s never done a foxtrot or a Charleston. He’s quite vulnerable. He doesn’t want to let anyone down.’
Strictly Come Dancing – Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 7:30pm on BBC One