Janette Manrara admits 'it's hard' as she shares worry over Lyra growing up

Janette Manrara opened up to fans as she admitted how 'hard' it was for both her and husband Aljaz Skorjanec to be away from their families while raising little Lyra. The couple, who were both professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing before Janette took over as host on spin-off show It Takes Two and Aljaz stepped down to become a full time dad, welcomed baby Lyra in July last year.

She has plenty of family spread out across the globe, with Janette's family in Miami and Aljaz's in Slovenia. As the family received a visit from Aljaz's sister and her husband, Janette reflected on the distance between their loved ones and how she wanted Lyra 'to grow up feeling the warmth of family as much as possible'.

She shared a photo of the rare family outing and wrote: "Had a beautiful day out w/ our nieces and @aljazskorjanec sister @laraljubic and her husband @nejcljubic. It’s so wonderful to have had them over these past few days.

Read more James Martin shares hidden item on Saturday Morning set he can't do job without

"Lyra has really enjoyed spending time with/ her cousins Zala and Tisa. We want her to grow up feeling the warmth of family as much as possible. It’s hard being away from our families.

"They may be far apart, but they will always be so close in their hearts."

Janette recently shared a new milestone with baby Lyra - taking her on her first swimming lesson. She posed for an adorable snap as she cradled her and husband Aljaz Skorjanec's daughter before her first dip.

She wrote: "Today was Lyra’s first day in the pool AND her first swimming lesson! She loved it and so did mummy, Thank you @puddleducksmidcheshire for creating such a beautiful environment for our new little swimmer.”