The 64-year-old has opened up about the end of the romance with her fiancé Danny, who is 13 years her junior
Strictly Come Dancing star Shirley Ballas (Image: BBC)
Shirley Ball says her toy boy days are over after her romance with ex-fiancé Danny Taylor fizzled out.
The 64-year-old Strictly Come Dancing head judge announced in November that she and Danny—who is 13 years her junior—had split after six years together, and Shirley admitted she ignored a lot of “red flags” while they were together.
She told The Mirror: “There was no question about how much I loved this man. And he came into my life at a time when I really, really needed him, and he was such a caring person.”
“But what’s the nicest way to say it? There were red flags along the line that I chose to ignore, but it just got to the point where the relationship became too complicated for me in many ways.”
Shirley – who has written a memoir titled Best Foot Forward – added that she bought Danny gifts “Thinking I should show him I loved him.”
As a result, he had “the best of the best,” including designer clothes, expensive vacations, and a car.
(Image: Getty Images)
While Shirley and Danny have exchanged a few text messages since the night of their breakup, she still wants to meet in person for closure.
She said: “We still haven’t seen each other face to face since that night, which I’ve asked for many times. I’m a person who needs to be shut out and it’s just never closed. I always think it’s nice to sit in a room because when you’re texting you don’t really know the tone.”
And Shirley isn’t sure if she ever wants another relationship after the split. She said: “I don’t think I’ll ever have another relationship, but if I did, it would have to be with someone who was a lot more laid back and saw us growing in the same direction.”
“But that doesn’t mean that the six years I had with Danny, I didn’t torment him. I just didn’t have a choice. I think my ‘toy boy days’ are behind me. I think anything from 55 to 70, if that’s appropriate.”
The professional dancer has been married twice, engaged four times, and shares a 38-year-old son, Mark Ballas, with former American ballroom dancer Corky Ballas.
In December, Shirley described her love life as a “disaster” when she officially confirmed her split from her fiancé. There were rumors that she had gone her separate ways after six years together.
