Strictly's Shirley Ballas' life with actor boyfriend and hidden health battle
Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has opened on her life away from the hit BBC show as she prepares to become a grandma at 63 for the first time.
Shirley, who took up dancing at the age of seven, went on to win several championship titles on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1980s and 1990s with her ex-husbands, Sammy Stopford and Corky Ballas. With the latter, Shirley shares son Mark, born in 1986, whilst the pair divorced in 2007.
The 'Queen of Latin' joined the Strictly judging panel in 2017 and, in doing so, became a household name to a whole new generation of fans. Now, says she can't walk down the street without being recognised, something she surprisingly describes as "lovely".
This year the star has also been busy penning and launching her new novel, Murder on the Dancefloor, as well as appearing at the Royal Albert Hall's International Ballroom Dancing Championships earlier this month. Now, join us as we delve into her life away from the cameras.
Shirley met Daniel Taylor as the pair worked together in a 2018 pantomime (Getty Images for Barclaycard Exclusive)
Shirley says she keeps 'supple' and in shape by partaking in yoga exercise every dayToyboy lover
Shirley and boyfriend Daniel Taylor, 50, met in the 2018 pantomime season as they starred together in a Christmas production of Jack and The Beanstalk at the Liverpool Empire. At the time, she said of Danny, who is an actor and trained dancer: "Nobody should ever give up on love. I think I had. And then I met Danny. But to everyone out there, and anyone still looking, you never know what’s round the corner."
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
She told Prima in 2021: "My relationship with Danny has changed my life. He’s very different to anyone I’ve been with before. First of all, he’s 6ft 1in, he’s the tallest man I’ve ever dated, and I love his jet black hair. He’s also very kind and very caring – he’s always there for me. I hope he’ll propose one day, but he’s never married and I think he’s a bit nervous about it, so we’ll see. Come on, Danny!"
Shirley said the pair have a "unique" and "trusting" relationship earlier this month before revealing they haven't seen each other since August due to their conflicting work schedules. She told Sun on Sunday: "I think the last time I saw him was August, when he joined me on my week-long Skyathlon challenge for mental health charity CALM — so it has been a long time. We have a unique, unconventional relationship. It’s built on trust."
'Grandma's' self-care
Shirley's son, Mark, 37, is a professional dancer himself and is expecting a child with his partner, singer-songwriter, BC Jean. With the pair living in the US, where Mark is a star of Dancing With The Stars, Shirley is forced to stay in touch via FaceTime for now, as she remains in the UK for her Strictly commitments.
With the pair's due-date edging ever closer, Shirley expressed the importance of self-care and looking her best. "I will always have my Botox twice a year," she admitted to Woman magazine. "And I suggest women do whatever they want to do that makes them feel lovely. I'm going to keep doing that and I'd never say no to a facelift." Shirley added she just does "whatever it takes" to look after her skin.
And with such a hectic schedule how does she keep in physical shape? "If I miss my yoga I feel bad so I try even if it's late at night to go every day. I've been doing yoga for years. It keeps you supple at my age and it mediates you."
Shirley's son Mark is also a professional dancer (REX)Secret health battle
Shirley admits she hasn't always had it easy, admitting she's had problems with her gut health "for decades". Suffering with bouts of constipation, she says she used to "go" once a week and then "get haemorrhoids". She explained: "I used to think that was normal. And when you're bunged up it makes you miserable and foggy and feel low."
Thankfully she said she combatted the problem by "changing her routine" as well as drinking "plenty of water" and making sure she exercises every day.
Plastic surgery regret
In 2019, Shirley had her breast implants removed after medical experts warned her that it would be difficult to check for cancer behind the implants. She revealed that scar tissue due to her implants was causing her chronic fatigue.
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly at the time, she admitted it took a bit of getting used to having a smaller bust: "I do feel more like myself. I’m still getting used to it – all the clothes are a little bit different now. "It was a DD, now it’s an A/B, it's quite a difference in bust size," she said. "Before, they were heavy, they were weighted, there was cancer in my family, I was concerned about that."
In her autobiography she also addressed a falling out she had with fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood after he made "painful" comments about her "fake boobs" while promoting his book in 2018. He said: "What happened is that she came to the audition [to replace former judge Len Goodman] and literally had her thing open to her navel. I am not joking.
Bird charity banned from Twitter for repeatedly posting woodcock photos
"Her boobs were like La BaZooKa things hanging out. It was not very, erm, Strictly. So they came in and sewed all that up. Then they had to push them down… and they’re fake." Shirley added: "It was awful and very, very painful. It brought up a lot of things from my past that I thought I’d dealt with. The pair has since resolved their differences.
Co-star support
Earlier this month, meanwhile, Shirley told the Mirror at the Pride Of Britain Awards that she's been sending letters to Amy Dowden while the pro dancer undergoes chemotherapy treatment.
Earlier this year, Amy was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, meaning that she was forced to pull out of the show. Despite the struggles she's faced, Amy has shown incredible strength and appeared on Strictly two weeks ago for the first time as she was supported by her proud co-stars.
Speaking about Amy, Shirley said on the red carpet: "She was a student of mine for many years. I talk to her a lot, all the time and I thought she was very, very brave. She was going to wear a wig and then she decided not to for cancer awareness month, and that took courage and we know what kind of courage that took for her and I thought she looked beautiful. Her dress was beautiful, the face, make-up - with or without hair that girl is a superstar. And I know her fight having known her as a little girl and she will be back on that show by next year."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
