Janette Manrara addresses backlash over role on Strictly after 'dreading being exposed'
Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara has opened up about her role on the show, admitting that she had 'imposter syndrome'
Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara opened up on her struggles when she first joined the show with one aspect in particular causing her the most worry.
Janette, who first appeared on the show as one of the professional dancers in 2013, revealed that she 'dreaded exposure' and suffered from feelings of so-called 'imposter syndrome' during certain junctures of her dancing career, especially after joining the BBC show when she received hateful comments online.
She wrote: "In my case, complicating matters were external big bad wolves online, strangers uttering discouraging words such as, 'She'll never pull it off.'
"On top of that, you constantly dread exposure as a fraud - you're waiting to be 'found out'."
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Earlier in the book, the 40-year-old defined the term 'imposter syndrome', as 'that nagging feeling of not deserving our accolades, a persistent doubt that whispers that we are not truly worthy of our success.'
She added: "Their doubts amplified the voice in my head, confirming my percieved inadequacy. During this time of my career, the internal imposter had truly seized control."
Earlier in the book, Janette - who is now a co-host on spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, said she was initially 'ecstatic' as she landed her 'dream job' on Strictly.
The dancer said: "When I landed my dream job on Strictly Come Dancing, I was ecstatic. A small-town girl from Miami, the daughter of Cuban immigrants, had made it!"
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But she said that almost immediately she started to feel the affects of imposter syndrome: "Yet, beneath the surface, doubts crept in. I felt different from the other professional dancers, having never competed or won any titles."
The dancer added: "Initially, I embraced this distinctiveness, thinking it made me stand out. Little did I know, it was the beginnings of my impending imposter syndrome."
Having made her debut as a professional dancer on the 2013 series of Strictly Come Danicng, Janette went on to feature in eight series of the show, dancing alongside the likes of Peter Andre and Aston Merrygold before replacing Zoe Ball on the Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two BBC Two show in 2021.
