Shirley Ballas reveals she is to undergo big operation in midst of Strictly

shirley ballas breast operation cancer fears
(Image credit: Getty)

Shirley Ballas has revealed that she will be undergoing an operation.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge has revealed that she will be having her breast implants removed over cancer fears.

Shirley, who is head judge on the BBC dancing competition show, will be undergoing the surgery next month – while Strictly is still going on.

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And despite going under the knife, the 59-year-old to still keep to her judging commitments and make it to the Saturday night show, meaning that she will only be taking three days off work after her operation.

‘I’m scheduled for the operation on Tuesday, October 29,’ the TV star told The Sun. ‘My doctor says I have recuperation of a week, but I want to do Strictly on the Saturday night.’

shirley ballas breast operation cancer fears

The ballroom dancer, whose mother and aunt have cancer and who has lost another aunt to the illness, got a boob job done back in 2002.

However, she was convinced to reverse the procedure recently when a nurse told her during a mammogram: ‘There’s no guarantee that we can ever really see behind the back of the implants.’

The dancing judge has said that she has the full support of BBC producers, saying that they want her to be ‘comfortable’.

‘My doctor says I have recuperation of a week, but I want to do Strictly on the Saturday night,’ she said. ‘It’s not like I have to dance and do the cha cha cha or the samba.

shirley ballas breast operation cancer fears

‘I spoke to the BBC and they have been very, very supportive. They said you have to do what you feel most comfortable for your health.’

Speaking about the procedure, she continued: ‘Assuming there is no cancer, we are debating whether to take out just the implants or the scar tissue as well.

‘There are rumours that the scar tissues cause chronic fatigue which I have suffered with even over the last year. Usually I don’t get tired and I’m like an Energizer bunny.

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‘But if they take out the scar tissue the whole breast will collapse because it’s been holding everything in place around the implant,’ she continued.

‘So it would involve bigger surgery and perhaps a reconstruction — you’d have to maybe take fat out of your tummy to rebuild the breasts. Or you put smaller implants in. But I don’t want any implants in. I don’t want any foreign bodies in my body’.

Aleesha Badkar
Digital Beauty Editor, woman&home

Aleesha is Digital Beauty Editor at woman&home, where she gets to share her expertise into all the best techniques, sharpest tools and newest products—with a particular savvy in skincare and fragrance.

Previously, she was Deputy Editor and Beauty & Fashion Editor for My Imperfect Life, where she headed up the beauty, fashion and eCommerce pages. In the past, she has worked as Shopping Writer at woman&home, gained an AOP awards nomination after working on their news team, contributed to Women's Health, Stylist and Goodto and earned an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London.