We’re used to seeing Shirley Ballas, the ballroom dancing Queen of Latin, in a world of sequins and spangles. But the Strictly Come Dancing judge is leaving the glitz of the ball- room behind as she prepares to take on the “most terrifying” challenge of her life. Shirley will put her fear of heights to one side as she does a Skyathlon during August – a 100mph zipline, a wing walk on a plane and a 15,000ft skydive, all in the name of charity. “I’ve never done anything this exhilarating or terrifying, so it’s a big deal for me,” she tells us. “I picked the Skyathlon because it was the hardest thing to do.”
Shirley lost her brother David to suicide 20 years ago. He was 44 when he died in 2003, after suffering from depression. More recently, she lost a young student, and “many” friends to suicide. “I’m terrified of heights, but nothing terrifies me more than the thought of losing another person to suicide,” she says, sadly. “I’ve just lost another stu- dent to suicide and of course, my brother and many other friends.” Losing her beloved brother was devastating. “He was everything to me. He was really the last person that I would ever think would take his own life,” she has said. “When I look back now, there were warning signs. If I knew then what I know now, I could’ve helped.”
Since then, she has made it her mission to raise awareness around suicide – 18 people in the UK take their life every day, with the CALM helpline answering a call for help every
59 seconds. “I would like to put CALM on the map. This is one of the best causes I’ve ever supported, and one I’m very close to,” she explains.
She's been a much-loved member of the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel since 2017, but how much do you know about ballroom dancer, teacher, and adjudicator Shirley Ballas?
How old is Shirley Ballas?
Born on 6 September 1960, Shirley is currently 61 years old.
Shirley Ballas' dancing career
Shirley started dancing at just seven years old, going on to perform competitively and moving all over the UK to compete. Here's a young Shirley Ballas in action with then-partner Corky, and you can see how impressive her dancing skills were.
She stopped competing in dance competitions in 1996, instead becoming a dance coach and judge for ballroom and Latin American competitions.
Shirley on Strictly Come Dancing
In 2017, it was announced that Shirley would be joining the judging panel of Strictly Come Dancing alongside Craig Revel-Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke in series 15 where she would replace Len Goodman as head judge on the series and Strictly Christmas specials. We've been enjoying watching her on Saturday nights ever since, seeing her judge the dancers and crown the Strictly Come Dancing winners each year. We also love seeing her in the Strictly Come Dancing tour when the show goes on the road.
Who is Shirley Ballas' boyfriend?
Shirley has been with partner Daniel Taylor since 2019. Best known for acting in the West End, Daniel has also appeared in Brookside and The Bill.
The couple first met while starring in a Christmas production of Jack and The Beanstalk at the Liverpool Empire.
Talking to HELLO!, Shirley said: "I just love that man I just want to sit there all day and stare at him. He is 'The One'. We have a lot in common and we laugh all the time. He is part of the reason why I readjusted my life. Danny is just so magnificently special. I have met his parents and everybody likes each other. That’s a plus."
Shirley has previously been married twice: to dancer Sammy Stopford when she was 18 and dancer Corky Ballas in 1985. Shirley and Corky divorced in 2007. Shirley made the decision to keep her ex-husband's surname Ballas instead of reverting to her maiden name Rich.
Does Shirley have children?
Shirley and Corky went on to have a child together in 1986. Their son, Mark is a professional ballroom dancer too.
Shirley's health scare
The dancer recently revealed she will need scans on all her organs as doctors were concerned by her high hormone levels.
In an interview with The Sun, Shirley explained: "I try to not to focus on that (health worries) because it’s easy for me to go down a dark route.
"I don’t have enough information yet, so I just keep trundling forward.
"That’s how I coped when I had my last cancer scare — it comes from my mum, who is very stoic about everything."
The findings came after concerned Strictly viewers messaged Shirley on Instagram after spotting a lump in her armpit as she raised her arm while judging.
Shirely said that her doctor "won’t speculate on what the cause is. She just says, ‘We need to deal with this. Let’s deal with the hormones and then see what else is there’
"So I’ll have the scans and then I’ll be able to let everyone know what’s going on."
What is Shirley's net worth?
According to Idol Net Worth, Shirley is worth $5million, which is the equivalent of about £3.7million.
There has been much public interest into the Strictly Come Dancing wages, and one report claimed that Shirley was paid £180,000 by the BBC for her first series of Strictly Come Dancing which sparked anger amongst fans when it was revealed that she earned £70,000 less than her predecessor, Len Goodman.
Shirley Ballas brother
You may have noticed Shirley regularly sharing old photos of her brother David, who tragically took his own life just under 20 years ago aged 44. Since then, suicide prevention and awareness has been a cause extremely close to Shirley's heart. Speaking on This Morning about her brother, she said "When I look back now, there were warning signs. There were little things that he would say or comments that he would make and I would be like 'you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine'".
Buy Shirley's book
In Behind the Sequins, Queen of Latin and Head Judge on Strictly Come Dancing, Shirley Ballas, leads us through her dramatic and determined life, from growing up on a rough estate on the Wirral and leaving home at 14 years old, to conquering the high-octane world of Ballroom and coping with betrayal, bullying, two broken marriages and a personal tragedy that left Shirley and her family devastated.