Janette Manrara, a former pro on Strictly Come Dancing and presenter of It Takes Two, got real about her recent parenting struggles when she took to Instagram on Friday to reveal her daughter had had a period of ill health.
The 40-year-old professional dancer, who shares baby Lyra with Strictly pro Aljaž Škorjanec, posted a video where she can be seen playing with her daughter as she caught fans up on family life.
“Lyra has been really unwell the last few days and after a doctor’s visit and antibiotics, she is now finally on the mend,” Janette penned. “It has been tough for me dealing with her being so sick for the first time and on my own. I wanted to make her better straight away and I just couldn’t.
“She was just so uncomfortable no matter what I did to help. Then add the usual exhaustion of parenting on top of that… my emotions were all over the place,” she continued.
Janette also spoke about how she was supported during this time by her close friends and has felt better since she has been able to get a smile out of poor Lyra.
“Parenting is hard and there are so many ups and downs, so…. to all of the parents out there who are having tough days…. YOU GOT THIS! Phone a friend, breathe, think of their smile, remember the days are long but the years are short. You’re doing an amazing job and loving them deeply,” she concluded.
Janette has since shared that Aljaz has come home so she could fit in some ‘me-time’. “Feeling grateful for an amazing husband and dad coming home to let mummy look after herself a little, Janette said.
Lyra’s special milestone
In July, the Strictly pros, who tied the knot in 2017, celebrated a happier moment with their sweet daughter – her first birthday.
Janette and Aljaz celebrating their daughter Lyra’s first birthday
The tiny tot was seen wearing an adorable pastel dress and hair bow as she sat in her high chair at a restaurant by a towering birthday cake adorned with ‘Lyra Rose is One’ in gold letters.
Janette takes Lyra to see her Strictly friends including Nadiya Bychkova
“We spent the day having a perfect family lunch, w/ a beautiful cake, and cuddles and love all day at home in the garden as the sun came out for our little sunshine! It was quaint, and warm and full of love,” the Florida native wrote.
Janette’s celebrity pals darted to the comments to wish Lyra a happy birthday including fellow Strictly stars Gorka Marquez and Vito Coppola, as well as This Morning host Alison Hammond and Loose Women panellist Ruth Langsford.
Gemma and Gorka are raising little ones alongside Janette and Aljaz
Lyra is often seen enjoying a playdate with the children of Janette’s Strictly friends. In July, the ballroom and Latin dancer spent the day with former Strictly pro Pasha Kovalev and his young daughters Maven and Noa he shares with Countdown star Rachel Riley.
Lyra is also close buddies with Gorka Marquez’s young children Mia and Thiago whom he shares with actress Gemma Atkinson.
Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage
By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.
Ola Jordan has opened up to HELLO! in her new column Ola & Ella, following some big news in their household.
The former Strictly Come Dancingchampion, who shares four-year-old daughter Ella with her husband, fellow Strictly professional James Jordan, spoke exclusively to us about a change of circumstances for their family of three.
WATCH: Ola and Ella dance together in the kitchen
“James is doing a new dancing tour called Legends of the Dancefloor with other Strictly stars as well as another work project, so he’s going to be away for a long time,” said Ola.
“He’s going away from September to December, so I’m going to be left with Ella on my own. I was feeling a bit nervous about it, but James just went on a five-day golf trip and Ella and I got into a good routine at home, so we’ll be fine.”
In her exclusive HELLO! column below, Ola fills us in on her recent mummy-daughter week with Ella, how her daughter is doing in her dance class and how the family feel about James’ upcoming tour. Ella has suffered some health problems of late and we get the lowdown on how she’s doing now.
Read about Ola & Ella’s week here…
When James went away…
We recently went to Turkey on a work trip with Ella, and when we came home James went straight on a golf trip. It’s been lovely spending time on my own with Ella.
Ella is very much a daddy’s girl, so when he’s away I feel like she’s really into being with me. I feel like she’s naughtier for me when daddy’s around – I don’t know why. She was much better behaved when it was just me and her, as good as gold.
I’m not saying that James is any less strict with her, but she is a bit of a daddy’s girl. The moment daddy walks in she’s like, ‘Daddy! I love you, you’re the best!’
When James is home, bedtime is really my time with Ella. That’s the time she wants me, so I sit on her bed with her. She says things like, ‘Mummy I want to hold your hand, I want a kiss’.
She actually said to me last night, ‘Mummy why don’t you sit here all the time? Why do you go somewhere else?’ She obviously worked out that when she wakes up, I’m not there.
And yes, she still comes into our bed about 1am. We don’t really mind though as she just sleeps. In the morning when she wakes up, she grabs my arm and cuddles me, and wants my arm around her. People might not agree with it, but I love it. She’s still my baby. She’ll always be my baby.
Ola is a dance mum now
Ella’s been going to her dance class and she’s loving it. I tried to ask her to show me some moves, but she doesn’t quite know what to show. She’ll go, ‘Mummy that song… we use that in dance class’. Bless her, she’s not the best just yet!
I think they learn a routine in class, but I don’t watch her as they don’t let the parents go in. I find it hard because I want to be there and watch, to see how she behaves and if she’s paying attention.
I go in with her at her gymnastics class, so I know when she’s not paying attention. I say, ‘Listen to the teacher, you’re not listening.’
I sit in my car during her dance class. That’s what the other parents do, or they drive off for an hour. I’m sitting there like a lemon because I don’t want to go anywhere just in case she needs me.
I’m not sure if she has an end of term show but it’ll be amazing watching her, I can’t wait.
Ella’s health update
Ella’s health isn’t the best right now, unfortunately. She’s started to cough again, and her ears are definitely playing up.
There’s been a case of chicken pox in her nursery so I’m waiting to see if she gets that. I’m on alert with her; I’m watching her cough all the time.
She also has really red cheeks on holiday, and I was confused by it. I thought I’d put enough factor 50 suncream on her, so I’m not sure what it was. We had a message on a parents’ group about slapped cheek syndrome, which I’d never heard of. Apparently one of the little girls had it recently – now I’m wondering if Ella’s red cheeks were that illness. She’s felt fine in herself though.
I’m a bit nervous about her health this autumn when James goes away with work – I’ll be on high alert with her cough.
James’ new dance tour
When James starts the Legends tour, he won’t be coming home on weekends because he’ll be doing shows then, so he’ll be away a long time, and his days off might be travelling days to the next venue.
Before anyone says anything like, ‘Why is he touring and she’s at home?’… it’s my choice, I want to be at home with Ella.
It will be a big shock for her that daddy’s not around but she’s going to have school, she’ll be tired anyway. Then she’ll have after school clubs – she’ll be doing her gymnastics and dancing – so she’ll be busy.
The Jordan family
I will take Ella to go and see his show though.
She hasn’t seen him dance on stage before, although she has watched videos of us dancing. She’s very interested in James’ Dancing on Ice videos. She’s always saying, ‘Who’s Alex mummy?’ because he danced with Alexandra Schauman. She goes, ‘Mummy that’s not you, is it?’
I’m sure she’s going to love seeing him dance on the stage, it’s going to be amazing.
I’m going to have to help train James for his tour. As fit as we are for our age, ‘dancing fit’ is totally different. I’ll help him train in the studio and go to the gym.
I’m nervous for him because he’s got to find a new dance partner for the tour, but he’s used to dancing with me.
I’m not jealous – life’s too short and it’s his work. I’m not going to sit here and stress about him dancing with a younger girl. I keep joking with him, ‘How are you going to find a replacement, it’s impossible!’
No, seriously, there are loads of amazing dancers, I’m sure he’ll find someone fabulous. He’s doing it for us at the end of the day.
I’m sure one year James might say, ‘I don’t want to do the tour, why don’t you do it?’ When I’m ready and Ella’s settled in her school I might do, and I’m happy with that.
It will be weird for me on weekdays with James gone and Ella at school, but I’m going to have some time to myself which will be lovely.
Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage
By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.
Carrie Johnson is in full preparation work as she aims to make sure thather eldest child, Wilf, has a fourth birthday to remember when he hits the milestone on Monday.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, the wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, showed off the incredible gift that she had commissioned for her young boy, with designers from Harry’s Original Timber Shop handcrafting a wooden fire engine for the youngster to play inside. See the design in the clip below!
WATCH: Carrie Johnson reveals son Wilf’s incredible birthday gift
“Thank you @harrysoriginal for making this for Wilf’s birthday,” she said in a caption. “Now I just need to paint it in time and without the birthday boy seeing it!“
Carrie later updated her followers on her progress after completing the first coat of paint, and it was certainly coming along. The exterior featured a bold red for the main part with a yellow ladder and steering wheel and black wheels.
Carrie painted the incredible present for her young son
However, it wasn’t all plain-sailing for the mum-of-three as she revealed that she was looking after her baby son Frank while getting into her DIY, and the tot had started teething.
Alongside Wilf, Carrie is also a mum to daughter Romy, two, and Frank, who is nine months old. The family have also welcomed some ducklings, although the political consultant shared earlier in the week that one of them, Donny, had died.
“Don didn’t make it,” Carrie wrote. “We all really knew from the moment he was born that he wasn’t right, but I still feel very sad about it. Nature is cruel, RIP darling Donny.”
Another sad photo saw Donny cuddling into one of the other little ducklings. “A rather depressing Donny update. He’s still not eating & while the other gorgeous two hop around, splashing their water bowl and nibbling their chick crumb, Donny seems very lethargic, sitting very still in the corner.
Carrie recently shared some sad news
“He’s also about 2/3 of the size of the others now. They’re growing and he isn’t. Boris doesn’t think he’ll last the night. *Sigh. Going to give him lots of love and attention today and make him feel and will make him as comfortable as possible.”
The Johnsons are already the proud owners of a family of ducks who live in their sprawling almost five-acre family garden. The pets were a gift from their neighbours shortly after they moved in and Romy and Wilfred are often pictured by their proud mum going down to the pond in the garden.
© Instagram
© Instagram
© Instagram
© Instagram
© Instagram
© Instagram
