She has been down the aisle twice, with her second marriage to former ballroom dancer Corky Ballas ending 16 years ago.
And after revealing she has no plans to marry long-term toyboy boyfriend Danny Taylor, Strictly judge, Shirley Ballas says that she had initially hoped to be a third-time bride, but circumstances have changed.
“I don’t feel there’s a pressure [to get married],” Shirley tells Closer ahead of a huge challenge for suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably. “I think the only pressure I felt was my own. As my son [Mark] said, it was me who was pushing to get married. Things changed last year – my mum moved in, and Danny’s not in a place to get married. But we’re good as we are. We’re good friends and that works.”
Shirley, 62, was first married to dancer Sammy Stopford between 1980 and 1984, before finding love a second time with Corky. They wed in 1985 and had Mark, now 37, a year later, but their marriage was not meant to be and they divorced in 2007.
But the third time’s a charm, as Shirley has been dating actor Danny, who is in his late forties, since January 2019 after meeting during rehearsals for Jack And The Beanstalk over the Christmas period. The couple have gone from strength to strength, and many assumed they had taken the next step in their relationship when Shirley began sporting a large diamond ring on her wedding finger.
But despite the ballroom dancer ruling out wedding bells, their long-distance relationship is still going strong.
After revealing they haven’t seen each other for months due to their respective travels, Shirley says “FaceTime, communication and trust” are the components that make their relationship work.
She says, “If for one inkling you think something is wrong, you’re probably right. Danny stays fairly busy and I check in every day. You can tell there’s that love and warmth. It is what it is today, and no one’s promised tomorrow. We learn from the past and keep moving.”
Shirley – who was appointed Strictly’s head judge in 2017 following the departure of the late Len Goodman – might have opted out of a third nuptials, but she has plenty to keep her on her toes, as she is soon to be a grandmother.
Actor, singer and Dancing With The Stars professional Mark and his wife BC Jean – who are based in Los Angeles – revealed they are expecting their first child together last month, and Shirley has already decided she is not settling for a mediocre grandparent name.
She says, “I was thinking glitterball or glitzy – Glitterball Nan or something. Not Grandma or Granny, I need something a little bit more... I’ll think of a cute name.”
She adds, “It’s beyond exciting really, because I never knew whether they were having children. I kept asking and [Mark would] say, ‘Stop asking, Mum, stop asking’. So now we’ve got this fantastic news. My daughter-in-law looks phenomenal – she’s just glowing. Music runs in their bones, so I think their child is going to have a life in stage and music.”
This year will mark Shirley’s seventh series on the Strictly judging panel, where she will be joined by Craig Revel Horwood, Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse to offer expertise to a fresh group of celebs hoping to make the ballroom big time.
“I always think to myself, ‘How is Sarah James [executive producer] going to do something different?’, but she always does. She always pulls something out of the bag. I know she’s got surprises on the first week and some new things that make your eyes pop a bit,” Shirley says.
But before Strictly’s 21st series later this year, Shirley will be facing her fears during a CALM skyathlon. It involves the world’s fastest zip line, a wing walk and a skydive, with all proceeds going to the charity – which is close to Shirley’s heart after her brother died by suicide two decades ago.
“I didn’t see the signs with my brother. We don’t always see the signs with somebody who’s in pain or needs to chat, and that’s why sometimes when someone is talking, it’s good to shut your gob and listen,” she says. Eighteen people a day take their own life in the UK and Shirley wants to help.
“I picked the skyathlon because it was the hardest thing to do. I wrote this nice line, ‘I’m terrified of heights, but nothing terrifies me more than the thought of losing another person to suicide.’ I’ve never done anything as exhilarating or terrifying as the skyathlon – putting your life on the line. It is a big deal for me.”
● To donate to Shirley’s Skyathlon, go to thecalmzone.net/skyathlon. And if you’re struggling, talk to CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (UK) or through their webchat.
