Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas is reportedly set to join the US dance competition Dancing With The Stars, following in the footsteps of Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman. The 66-year-old head judge is said to be taking on the new role while continuing her duties on the BBC's Saturday night show.
New Role on DWTS
According to reports, Ballas will not give up her position on Strictly. Instead, insiders claim she will fit DWTS filming between the live Strictly shows. A source said: "Shirley will fly to the US later this month after the Strictly live show finishes." They added that, as DWTS is filmed throughout the week, she will return in time for the live weekend shows.
The source told The Sun: "It's a whirlwind schedule, but she jumped at the chance to take part." They went on to claim that while it's just a one-off for now, it could progress, saying: "If the US TV bosses think Shirley is a hit, they're sure to see if she would come back."
Tribute to Len Goodman
Ballas joined Strictly as head judge in 2017. Fellow judge Craig Revel Horwood recently joked she will never fill the boots of the late Len Goodman, who died in 2023 at the age of 78. Horwood said at the unveiling of a tribute sculpture to Goodman at the Goodman Dance Academy in Dartford in July: "For me, he was Strictly Come Dancing. His sayings… 'A ten from Len' was a huge one. Shirley has tried to replicate that one, but sadly, she failed."
Horwood also paid tribute to his off-screen friendship with Goodman, saying viewers only saw one side of their fiery relationship. He said: "I loved Len. If you looked at the TV, we were constantly fighting like cat and dog, but as soon as we came off stage, we'd have a pally drink together. We toured together. So I was stuck in a car with Len for hours and hours while he got out to look at another building, darling."
Legacy and Tribute
Horwood also revealed how Len helped him overcome his biggest fear when he first joined Strictly, saying: "I am now the age Len was when he started Strictly. There was a twenty-year difference between us. I'll let you into a little secret – when I started, I was having nightmares because I didn't know ballroom and Latin."
Len, who also appeared on DWTS, was given a huge tribute on the show following his death. The show announced in 2023 that they were officially renaming the famous mirrorball trophy to the Len Goodman Trophy. Julianne Hough said at the time: "Len was on this panel for nearly all of our 32 seasons and although he's irreplaceable we wanted to pay tribute to him... Len will always be going forward with us."
