Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has opened up about a painful memory from her father's funeral, where she felt disdainful stares from relatives. In a candid interview, the 64-year-old dancer revealed that her mother, Audrey, was the source of those looks, disapproving of her emotional state at the time.
Ballas, who was born in Wallasey in 1960, described how her mother's strict upbringing shaped her. She recalled an incident on a cruise where she was crying over a breakup, and her mother smacked her across the face to silence her. 'That's old-school parenting, right there,' Ballas said.
The dancer, who joined Strictly as a judge in 2017, also spoke about her early love of dance, sparked at age seven when she saw people dancing the cha-cha-cha in a church hall. Her mother worked multiple jobs to support her passion, teaching her that hard work leads to success.
Ballas left home at 14 to live with her first dance partner's family, and later married twice, both marriages ending in divorce. She also revealed she was bullied in the male-dominated dance industry before Strictly, but said it worked out well as it led her to the show.
Her mother, now 89, was diagnosed with COPD in 2022. Despite the condition, Audrey remains stubborn, still smoking and refusing to use an inhaler. Ballas said her mother plans her own funeral, wanting the song 'Knees Up Mother Brown' and insisting no one should buy their own drinks.
