Strictly Come Dancing stars Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec have welcomed their first child together.
The married couple announced the news by sharing a photo on Instagram of Manrara, 39, in a hospital bed cradling the newborn baby while Skorjanec, 33, leaned over them with a beaming smile.
They said the baby had been born on Friday (29 July) and had been named Lyra Rose Skorjanec.
Friends and famous faces congratulated the couple, including Strictly Come Dancing professional Gorka Marquez who wrote: “So gorgeous!!!”
His fiancee, actor Gemma Atkinson, who gave birth to their second child last week, added: “Just wonderful”.
Strictly star Oti Mabuse added “CONGRATULATIONS best news ever”, and Amy Dowden described the baby as “utter perfection”.
Fellow Strictly professional Katya Jones added: “She’s here!!!!!!! So beautiful!!!” while former judge Arlene Phillips wrote: “Beautiful moment. Years of joy ahead. All the love.”
Meanwhile, “Murder on the Dancefloor” musician Sophie Ellis-Bextor commented: “Yay!! Welcome to the world, Lyra. Congratulations!”. Strictly presenter Claudia Winkleman also chimed in, adding: “Congratulations.”
The couple announced they were expecting in February after they found out Manrara was pregnant in early December, just as they were about to start IVF treatment.
Manrara, who quit her role as a professional dancer two years ago, told Hello! magazine that they had begun pursuing the idea of IVF after they had struggled to get pregnant in the two years they had been trying for a child.
The dancer, who is now co-host of the spin-off show It Takes Two, recalled that she was about to start the injections for IVF when she discovered she was pregnant.
The professional dancers met in 2010 when performing in the live dance show Burn The Floor, and they wed in 2017. They starred alongside one other on BBC’s ballroom dancing competition Strictly for many years before Manrara stepped down to take her presenting role.
Last year, Skorjanec announced he was also leaving the BBC dance competition after nine years.
Just four days before the arrival of their daughter, Manara shared an Instagram post telling her followers that she was experiencing “back spasms and pelvic pain”, which was making it difficult to walk, but Skorjanec had been supporting her.
“I’ve been staying inside resting as much as I can to control the back spasms and pelvic pain,” she wrote to her followers. “@aljazskorjanec and I have been cuddling and watching films, tv series and trying to enjoy our time just us 2 as much as we can before our lives change forever, for the better.”
The pair also announced on Friday (28 July) that they will be starring together in their joint live show this winter, called Aljaz and Janette Dancing in a Winter Wonderland.
With additional reporting from Press Association.
