Shirley Ballas is in no rush for a new relationship: 'It's better to be on my own'

Shirley Ballas has ruled out a new relationship for the foreseeable, revealing that she’s more than happy on her own after calling off an engagement in 2024.

The Strictly Come Dancing favourite split with former fiancé Danny Taylor, and now she’s finding the joy in being by herself.

Speaking with The Times, she shared, "I’m OK at the moment. No dates. I don’t want to call anyone a boyfriend or a this or a that."

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Grounded in the world of dance, Shirley’s life lessons offer a unique toolkit for navigating everyday challenges, including open-mindedness (‘Listen to the Music’) and self-confidence (‘Dress the Part’).

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She added that things with her former fiancé became difficult, claiming he was doing things "really under the table and quite unforgivable", leading her to discover that she’s, in fact, more than fine alone.

"Danny and I were together six years but I was always frightened he was going to take his own life. He was disappearing all the time.

"It just got to a point where it was so upsetting every time it happened, that I just decided to call it a day. It’s better to be on my own than constantly worrying, stressful, about somebody else."

Shirley and Danny might not have made it down the aisle, but she has been married twice before - and she’s found better resolution with her former husbands. Shirley was married to dancer Corky Ballas for 22 years, splitting in 2007, and a former ballroom dancer Sammy Stopford for four years between 1980 and 1984.

Speaking of her first husband, Corky Ballas, she explained, "We got over it and moved on. We have a grandson, we have a son together, so that’s a relationship that will go on and on and on until we die because we’re connected with family."

Still, Shirley was frank in admitting, "But, yes, I’ve definitely not been very lucky in love, for sure."

Men aside, Shirley, now 65, is in good spirits - keeping as active, for her own sake, and not to feel pressure to conform to any standard of beauty from anyone else.

On keeping up with her fitness, she said, "Even today I was at the gym with my son for an hour and a half. I do my 40 minutes on the treadmill. I lift my weights.

"I’m always trying to make sure I look decent for myself but I’m never under pressure from anybody else. Any issues I have are totally mine."

A relationship might be off the cards (for now), but Shirley is enjoying living in close quarters with her mum, Audrey. The pair live together in Dulwich, southeast London.

Together, the two have worked to boost the profile of the Breathe Equal campaign with Sanofi, after Audrey was diagnosed with COPD in 2022. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an incurable group of conditions that cause lungs to become inflamed and damaged.

Despite struggling with this, Shirley is inspired by her mum’s attitude.

"She’ll be 89. Still got all her marbles. Can do the alphabet backwards. Knows all the prime ministers right from the 1930s. She’s an extraordinary woman."