Aljaž Škorjanec (born 19 February 1990) is a Slovenian dancer and choreographer, who is known for appearing on the BBC series Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer from 2013 to 2021, and from 2024 onwards.
Career Aljaž Škorjanec was born in Ptuj, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia. He is a 19-time Slovenian champion in ballroom, Latin and Ten dance. Between 2000 and 2008, his professional partner was Valerija Rahle Mbanwi.
Strictly Come Dancing In September 2013 Škorjanec became a professional dancer on the eleventh series of the British television show, Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with model Abbey Clancy. On 30 November, they received the series' first perfect 40 for their Saturday Night Fever-themed Salsa. On 21 December, they won the series. He was the fourth professional to win in his first series of the show. The following year, he returned for the show's twelfth series, where he was partnered with This Morning presenter, Alison Hammond. They were the sixth couple to be eliminated from the competition. For the show's thirteenth series, he was partnered with Call the Midwife actress, Helen George. They were eliminated on week 11 of the competition, leaving in sixth place.
For the show's fourteenth series, he was partnered with model Daisy Lowe. They were the seventh couple to be eliminated from the competition, leaving in eighth place. For the show's fifteenth series, he was partnered with actress and former model, Gemma Atkinson. The couple reached the finals, but they finished as joint runners-up, behind winners Joe McFadden and his professional dance partner, Katya Jones. For the show's sixteenth series, he was partnered with BBC newsreader and journalist Kate Silverton. The couple were eliminated on week 9 in Blackpool, leaving in eighth place.
For the seventeenth series, he was partnered with socialite and chef, Emma Weymouth. They were eliminated on week 7, leaving in ninth place. For the eighteenth series, he was partnered with BBC Radio 1 DJ and presenter, Clara Amfo. For the nineteenth series, he was partnered with Dragons' Den entrepreneur and TV personality, Sara Davies. In March 2022, Škorjanec announced he would be leaving the show after nine years.
In July 2024, it was announced that Škorjanec would be returning as a professional for the twenty-second series. On 7 September 2024, amid speculation suggesting Škorjanec left Strictly due to an altercation with a female colleague in 2022, he said he had taken a break from Strictly to become a father. He was partnered with Love Island finalist Tasha Ghouri. She was the 2nd deaf contestant to compete after series 19 winner Rose Ayling-Ellis. The couple reached the final and finished as joint runners-up behind Chris McCausland and his professional dance partner, Dianne Buswell. They broke the record for the highest-ever average in the history of the show and Anton Du Beke described Ghouri as "the best dancer we've ever had on Strictly".
Series Partner Place AverageScore11Abbey Clancy1st35.612Alison Hammond10th24.613Helen George6th33.014Daisy Lowe8th31.815Gemma Atkinson2nd31.016Kate Silverton8th25.017Emma Weymouth9th 27.018Clara Amfo7th19Sara Davies8th28.522Tasha Ghouri2nd37.323La Voix7th26.324Melanie Walters 15.0 Color key:
Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance Dance Partner Highest Partner Lowest American Smooth Tasha Ghouri La Voix 24 Argentine Tango38 Kate Silverton 23 Cha-Cha-Cha Abbey ClancyDaisy LoweTasha Ghouri 30 La Voix Charleston Tasha Ghouri Alison Hammond 27 Couple's Choice Sara Davies Dance-a-thonHelen George7Abbey ClancyGemma Atkinson3 Foxtrot Abbey Clancy Alison Hammond 22 Jive Gemma Atkinson 30 La Voix 19 Paso DobleTasha Ghouri Abbey Clancy 32 Quickstep Abbey Clancy Gemma Atkinson Rumba Abbey ClancyTasha Ghouri 34 Kate Silverton Salsa Abbey ClancyGemma Atkinson 26 Samba 39 Kate Silverton 20 ShowdanceTasha Ghouri Gemma Atkinson Tango Sara Davies Emma Weymouth 22 Viennese Waltz Helen George Clara Amfo 23 Waltz Abbey ClancyTasha Ghouri Melanie Walters 15 numbers indicate Aljaž and his partner were at the top of the leaderboard that week. numbers indicate Aljaž and his partner were at the bottom of the leaderboard that week.
Series 11 Celebrity partner: Abbey Clancy
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Waltz / "Kissing You"888832No elimination2Cha-Cha-Cha / "Let's Get Loud"778830Safe3Jive / "Can't Buy Me Love"678728Safe4Tango / "Spectrum"989935Safe5Foxtrot / "Dear Darlin'"899935Safe6Rumba / "Stay"889934Bottom two7Charleston / "Cabaret"999936Safe8Quickstep / "Walking on Sunshine"710101037Safe9Paso Doble / "You Got the Love"888832Safe10Salsa / "You Should Be Dancing" 1010101040Safe11Viennese Waltz / "Delilah"9991040Safe12Samba / "Faith"910101039SafeAmerican Smooth / "Sweet Caroline"910101013Waltz / "Kissing You"10101010WinnersShowdance / "Sweet Child o' Mine"91091038Quickstep / "Walking on Sunshine"910910
Series 12 Celebrity partner: Alison Hammond
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Cha-Cha-Cha / "I'm Every Woman"667726No elimination2Foxtrot / "I Just Want to Make Love to You"556622Safe3Jive / "Footloose"456628Safe4Samba / "Bootylicious"677727Safe5Tango / "Addicted to You"566623Safe6American Smooth / "Wuthering Heights"577726Bottom two7Charleston / "Friend Like Me"677727 Eliminated
Series 13 Celebrity partner: Helen George
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Waltz / "With You I'm Born Again"777728No elimination2Cha-Cha-Cha / "Uptown Girl"777829Safe3Foxtrot / "I Wanna Be Loved by You"888832Safe4Salsa / "Dr. Beat"8889Safe5Quickstep / "You Can't Hurry Love"998935Safe6Samba / "Take Your Mama"898934Safe7Rumba / "Hello"887831Safe8Tango / "Hold Back the River"898934Safe9Charleston / "Anything Goes"898934Safe10Viennese Waltz / "At Last"910101046Safe11Paso Doble / "At The End of The Day"889934 Eliminated
Series 14 Celebrity partner: Daisy Lowe
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Waltz / "Unforgettable"789832No elimination2Cha-Cha-Cha / "Forget You"787830Safe3Quickstep / "A Spoonful of Sugar"788831Safe4Rumba / "Careless Whisper"788831Safe5Charleston / "Happy Feet"888832Bottom two6Paso Doble / "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"888933Bottom two7Viennese Waltz / "Daisy Bell"889934Safe8Salsa / "Groove Is in the Heart"788831 Eliminated
Series 15 Celebrity partner: Gemma Atkinson
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Cha-Cha-Cha / "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back"455620No elimination2Waltz / "Un Giorno Per Noi (A Time for Us)"667726Safe3Charleston / "The Bear Necessities"788831Safe4Paso Doble / "Viva la Vida" 899935Safe5Foxtrot / "Believe"888 832Safe6Jive / "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)"787830Safe7Salsa / "Sun Comes Up"577726Safe8Viennese Waltz / "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"777728Safe9American Smooth / "Downtown"99101038Safe10Samba / "The River of Dreams"666728Safe11Quickstep / "Hello, Dolly!"6788Safe12Rumba / "Beneath Your Beautiful"787830Bottom twoTango / "My Sharona"888813Paso Doble / "Viva la Vida"991010Runners-UpShowdance / "Show Me How You Burlesque"891010American Smooth / "Downtown"9101010
Series 16 Celebrity partner: Kate Silverton
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Kiss"464620No elimination2Tango / "No Roots"677727Safe3Foxtrot / "Why Don't You Do Right"678829Safe4Samba / "Africa"455620Safe5Viennese Waltz / "Finally Mine" 666826Safe6Rumba / "Skin"4655Safe7Argentine tango / "Assassin's Tango"466723Safe8Quickstep / "I Want You to Want Me"778830Safe9American Smooth / "Everlasting Love"778830 Eliminated
Series 17 Celebrity partner: Emma Weymouth
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1 Cha-Cha-Cha / "She's a Lady"554519No elimination2 Tango / "Sucker"466622Safe3 Foxtrot / "Did I Make the Most of Loving You?"777728Safe4 Jive / "Kids in America"777728Bottom two5Viennese Waltz / "Saving All My Love For You"999936Safe6Charleston / "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)"688830Safe7Samba / "I Don't Care"577726 Eliminated
Series 18 Celebrity partner: Clara Amfo
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Don't Start Now"56718No elimination2Viennese Waltz / "You Don't Own Me"56617Safe3Tango / "Lady Marmalade"76720Safe4Charleston / "Baby Face"9101029Safe5Samba / "That's the Way (I Like It)"567Safe6Jive / "River Deep, Mountain High"667 Eliminated
Series 19 Celebrity partner: Sara Davies
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Cha-Cha-Cha / "The Boss"3554No elimination2 Foxtrot / "Dream a Little Dream of Me"889934Safe3 Samba / "Best Years of Our Lives"777728Safe4 Tango / "Por una Cabeza"999936Safe5 Rumba / "You're Still the One"477725Safe6 Couple's Choice / "Queen Of the Night"4766Safe7 Quickstep / "9 to 5"888933Safe8 Argentine Tango / "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"788932 Eliminated
Series 22 Celebrity partner: Tasha Ghouri
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Espresso"887730No elimination2Viennese Waltz / "Misty Blue"8999Safe3Rumba / "What Was I Made For?"8899Safe4Charleston / "Unhealthy"9101010Safe5Tango / "Dog Days Are Over"898934Safe6Samba / "I Like to Move It"9991037Safe7Couple's Choice / "What About Us"9101010Safe8Quickstep / "Fantasy"810109Safe9Paso Doble / "Torn"9101010Safe10American Smooth / "Someone You Loved"10101010Safe11Argentine Tango / "Ex-Wives"91091038Bottom two12Salsa / "Something New"899935Bottom twoWaltz / "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"1010101013Couple's Choice / "What About Us"910101039Runners-upShowdance / "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)"10101010American Smooth / "Someone You Loved"10101010
Series 23 Celebrity partner: La Voix
Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreTotalResult1American Smooth / "Pink Pony Club" 6 6 6 6 24No elimination2Jive / "Objection (Tango)" 4 5 5 5 19Safe3Waltz / "Feed the Birds" 7 7 7 7 28Safe4Cha-Cha-Cha / "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" 3 4 2 5 Safe5Salsa / "Strong Enough" 6 7 7 8 28 Safe6Paso Doble / "Symphony No.5 Beethoven" 8 9 9 9 35 Safe7Foxtrot / "Make Your Own Kind of Music" 6 8 7 8 Bottom two8Couple's Choice / "Don't Rain on My Parade" 7 8 9 9 33 Safe9Samba / "Love Is in the Air" - - - - -Withdrew
Series 24
Celebrity Partner: Melanie Walters
Dance tours
In 2017, with Manrara, announced dates for their 2018 UK Tour "Remembering Fred".
In 2020, Škorjanec and Manrara announced dates for their 2021 UK Tour "Remembering The Oscars". In October the year, he also announced that he would be dancing in "Here Come The Boys" in the West End.
In 2026, Škorjanec and Janette Manrara announced appearances at the 2027 "Dancing With The Stars Weekends".
Personal life Škorjanec is a fan of FC Barcelona. Škorjanec is married to fellow dancer Janette Manrara. In February 2023, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child in summer 2023. Their daughter, Lyra, was born in July 2023.
In 2020, Škorjanec explained his developing psoriasis at age 18, saying: "It affects my confidence and self esteem massively" and adding that it makes him self-conscious. Aljaz started to use natural skincare products and document his journey to raise awareness.
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