2 days ago
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- Edinburgh Live
Strictly star Shirley Ballas' relationship 'disasters' and coming to blows with another woman
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Strictly Come Dancing's head judge Shirley Ballas, a Merseyside native, has been at the helm of the judging panel on BBC One's Glitzy show since 2017.
The dance veteran has also graced the US version, Dancing with the Stars, and made an appearance on ITV's The Masked Singer UK, where she participated in the fifth series as the character Rat, but was unmasked and eliminated in the third episode.
Off-screen, Shirley was a professional dancer specialising in the international Latin division, bagging several championship titles. Her personal life has been just as vibrant as her career.
In November last year, it was revealed that the 64-year-old dance legend had ended her relationship with boyfriend Danny Taylor after six years. Previously married twice, she has been candid about the emotional hurdles she's faced in past relationships.
Sammy Stopford
(Image: Getty Images for The National Lottery)
Her first marriage was to her dance partner Sammy Stopford when she was a mere 18 years old.
They tied the knot in 1980 and quickly ascended to stardom in the dance sphere, clinching prestigious titles like Professional Latin at Blackpool in 1983, reports Wales Online.
Despite their professional triumphs as a dance duo, Shirley Ballas and Sammy ended their marriage after four years, yet they've managed to maintain a friendship. Reflecting on their past in 2017, Ballas shared: "Lunch with my first husband, Sammy Stopford. Still love him to bits."
Corky Ballas
(Image: Daily Record)
She later tied the knot with Corky Ballas, whom she met at a dance contest in Canada. The couple exchanged vows in 1985 and soon after welcomed their son, Mark.
Their union dissolved in 2007, and Shirley claimed Corky had been unfaithful in her candid 2020 autobiography Behind the Sequins, writing: "He had multiple girlfriends even when I moved to America for him. I gave up my life for that man."
Allegations of infidelity weren't one sided, as Corky accused his wife of being unfaithful with "at least ten different men" throughout their lengthy union - claims Shirley has never addressed publicly. Shirley described the heated confrontation, explaining: "There was a little white angle on one of my shoulders, and a little red angel on the other one."
Following a period of separation, Shirley stunned her fans by rekindling a friendly relationship with ex-partner Corky Ballas. She marked their reconciliation on Instagram with a cheerful selfie, hinting at upcoming projects in her caption as she wrote: "Meeting up with Corky Ballas, father to our wonderful son and Grandad to Banksi. Back working together, simply awesome."
Coming to blows with another woman
(Image: BBC)
Shirley has also openly discussed a confrontation where she struck a woman who brazenly claimed she had been having an affair with her then-husband. In her book, she claimed: "The woman in question sidled up to me, clearly the worse for a drink or two, and said: 'You and I need to talk'."
She elaborated: "I tried to duck it, saying I had nothing to say to her, but she refused to leave. Then, as if in slow motion, I turned to face her just as she blurted out, 'You need to get used to the fact I f****d your husband'."
"The white angel told me, 'keep walking', while the red angel said, 'sock her in the gob'. So that's what I did. I punched her and she rolled away. I'm not proud. All I could hear around me were people whispering, 'Is that Shirley Ballas?'"
Danny Taylor
(Image: Shirley Ballas Instagram)
Shirley and Danny Taylor, who share a 13-year age difference, made their relationship official in 2019 after crossing paths during pantomime season. Shirley admitted she was completely smitten, revealing early in their courtship: "I would marry him tomorrow, if he asked me. If this is what love is, I have never experienced it before."
They became secretly engaged in 2021 but never made it down the aisle, and by November 2024, it was revealed that they had parted ways.
On Jamie Laing's podcast, Great Company with Jamie Laing, she reflected: "Currently, I've just split with my boyfriend. My relationships have been a disaster all the way along the line.
"But what I am truly grateful for is that I still have my mother and that she lives with me, and I get these precious moments with her. Because my mother is the only thing that's been a staple in my life. No friend, no marriage, no nothing."
Strictly Come Dancing is due to return to BBC One later this year.
