06 October 2023 , 15:47
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Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has revealed some of the saucy backstage secrets of professional dancers in the world of ballroom.
This comes as the BBC show's lead judge, 63, promotes her upcoming novel Murder on the Dance Floor. Shirley took over from former head judge Len Goodman in 2017. During a recent interview the star said: "It's a wondrous world of what goes on behind the scenes. It's either things I've been part of, or things I've seen. You will have to guess when you read the book. But it's pretty real to life, I would say. "
She added: "Some of it takes part in Whitby in the closet, before we even get to Blackpool. Then they fix their knickers and go on and do their cha cha cha." Speaking to food critic Grace Dent on her podcast The Comfort Eating, added that some dancers have sex before a performance. She continued: "Of course that's what they do. Some of these stories are from the teenage years... bam, bam, bam. A little bit of a shimmy. Yes, it goes on."
Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas reveals secrets within the world of professional danceBut with fame comes a seriously dark side, which Shirley has recently been faced with. Being on the popular BBC dance show, the star revealed that she has had death threats from trolls, which has left her too scared to leave her home at times.
Appearing on former Love Island Olivia Atwood's show, Olivia Atwood vs The Trolls, she said: "It’s when it is personal about myself and my family and it affects my mental health. I am not just talking about your phone. I am talking about being in public. You worry about those same strange people that write these kinds of messages. Are they lurking in dark corners? Are they hiding behind walls when you go somewhere?”
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And it taken its toll the point where Shirley considered quitting the show on the back of abuse that she had faced - but no one knew the full extent of what she had been going through. Speaking towards the end of last year’s show she said: “I’m taking two-and-a-half weeks off because of the immense amount of trolling I got this series. I decided I wouldn’t do panto this year. Last time I did it, I got a letter hand-delivered to the theatre that was very off-putting.I actually kept it. I don’t know why. So I’m going to take some time off and just get myself together.”
It was only recently that Shirley found herself in the middle of a sexism row as she was accused of marking down female contestants worse than the male particpants. Speaking on This Morning, she defended her actions by saying: "Well, constructive criticism is what I live my life by and I want to give them a few tips that help them. And it does help them and the professionals really listen, so sometimes it can come across a little harsh, they know it is not meant to be, I want them to be all that they can be."