Shirley Ballas is an English ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and judge.
Ballas was obsessed with dancing at the age of 7.
Shirley has also earned the title “The Queen of Latin” by winning several championships.
At the age of 15, Ballas relocated to North Yorkshire to work with Nigel Tiffany, the British Ballroom Champion.
The partners were also able to win Professional Latin at Blackpool Dance Festival in 1983.
However, in 1996, Ballas stopped performing and started working as a dance teacher and a judge for ballroom and Latin American Competitors.
Likewise, In 2017, Shirley Ballas got appointed as a head judge on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
On September 16, 1960, Shirley Ballas was born to Audrey Rich and George Rich.
After the time with Nigel Tiffany, Ballas and Sammy Stopford fell in love and became one of the fastest rising couples in ballroom dance.
They got married when Shirley was 18.
Eventually, by the age of 23, Shirley won all the major titles worldwide.
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Shirley Ballas’s profile
Before moving any further, let’s have a quick preview of Shirley Ballas’s profile.
| Name | Shirley Ballas |
| Nickname | Shirley |
| Gender | Female |
| Profession | Shirley Ballas is an English ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and judge |
| Height | 5 feet 2 inches (158 cm) |
| Weight | 52 kg (115 lbs) |
| Body Size | 35-28-35 |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Date of Birth | September 16, 1960 |
| Age | 61 years old |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| School | Donahey’s Dance School |
| College and University | Unknown |
| Education Qualification | High School dropout |
| Degree | Dancing and arts |
| Religion | Christian |
| Ethnicity | British |
| Cast | Ballas |
| Address | Wallasey, England, The United Kingdom |
| Hobbies | Dancing, Singing, and Partying |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Past Relationship | Sammy Stopford and Corky Ballas |
| Spouse name | Danny Taylor |
| Children name | Mark Ballas |
| Parents | Audrey Rich and George Rich |
| Siblings | David Rich |
| Pet | Unknown |
| Net Worth | $5.15 million |
Shirley Ballas Dancing
Growing up, Shirley was madly and crazily involved in dancing. She started to dance and thought of making it her profession at the age of 7.
It’s so surprising to see people figure out their profession at such a young age.
For Shirley, her profession was pre-determined.
She quit performing at the stage when she was 18 and started to work as a professional dance teacher and judge ever since.
During Ballas’s late teen and mid-twenties, she was already famous for her dance and was known all over the UK and Hollywood.
The hardest time for Shirley to dance was when she was 15. The time she had to move to North Yorkshire is the “most difficult time” she has ever had.
Two years later, Shirley had moved to London, where she ended up meeting her first husband, Sammy Stopford.
Ballas is quite lucky to find her better halves on the stage she had performed.
Her first husband Sammy and second husband Corky were ballet dancers and dance instructors.
However, the power dancing couple was separated in 1984.
The reason for their separation is not known yet.
However, Ballas did not stop following her passion.
Hence, the dancing queen is also known as “The United Kingdom Closed Championship.”
Shirley Ballas’s boyfriend
After two failed marriages, Shirley Ballas is currently dating “Danny Taylor”.
Danny Taylor is one of the trained dancers in the ballroom and an actor in the theater.
Shirley is dating a man 12 years younger than her. Despite the age difference between these two lovebirds, they seem to be happily in love.
Speaking about Shirley’s past affairs, she was in a relationship with both of her husbands before marriage.
Her marriage with “Sammy Stopford” did not cause as much drama as her marriage with “Corky Ballas” did.
Her ex-husband, Corky fat-shamed Shirley and once told her that she was entitled to his surname after their divorce as well.
Shirley Ballas’s Net Worth
Shirley Ballas has a total net worth of $5.1 million.
Similarly, In 2017, Shirley joined “Strictly” and BBC paid $250,000.
Ballas’s hard work in the dancing industry deserves every single penny she has earned.
Shirley Ballas’s Instagram
We can find Shirley on Instagram as @shirleyballas.
She has over 189K followers and 1.3K posts on Instagram. Likewise, Shirley follows more than 1.6K Instagram accounts which include different people, brands, TV personalities, and artists.
We can also find Shirley Ballas on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as:
| Shirley Ballas | |
| Shirley Ballas | |
| Shirley Ballas |
Shirley Ballas’s Height
Ballas is 5 feet 2 inches tall which is not considered a fair height for any artist.
Shirley Ballas’s Teeth
In 2019, Shirley was left needing emergency dental treatment following an incident with a packet of crisps.
She showed her chipped tooth to Shirley’s near 2K Instagram followers.
Eventually that night, she was rushed to Liverpool to have her tooth fixed for an emergency appointment.
Even though Shirley’s teeth had to be chipped, she felt no discomfort. In order to preserve her teeth, she performed immediate treatment to stop any damages.
Some Facts about Shirley
- In 2003, Shirley’s 44 year old brother David committed suicide which was a tough time for Shirley and her family.
- At the age of 2 Shirley’s father left the family. She was raised by a single mother.
- Shirley is the only person to have ever won the British Open To The World Latin American championships in Blackpool with two different partners and reached the finals an impressive 17 times.