Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ball has opened up about the painful turning point that led to the end of her six-year relationship with actor Danny Taylor.
The star admitted she knew “this can’t go on” after he disappeared on her birthday.
The 64-year-old ballroom icon, who confirmed the couple’s split last November, revealed that Danny’s disappearance on her special day deepened memories of her late brother David, who died by suicide in 2003.
Speaking to the Mirror , Shirley recalled being with her mother, 87-year-old Audrey, when she received a call to say her fiancé had gone missing.
“All these memories came flooding back … it brought up all these emotions,” she said.
Receive personalized updates about Strictly
Wake up to find news on your TV shows every morning with the Metro TV newsletter.
Sign up for our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get you personalized TV news.
“I will never forget that day until the day I die,” she explained. “I remember looking over in the middle of the night and seeing my mother so upset, reeling from all her trauma. I just thought, ‘This can’t go on.’ Not just for me, but for my mom.”
She spent hours desperately trying to track down Danny, calling her friends and family in the middle of the night.
Around
When he reappeared the next day as if nothing had happened, Shirley realized that their relationship had reached its breaking point.
The couple, who first met at Panto in late 2018 and got engaged in 2021, had been together for six years.
But since the collapse of their long-term romance, Shirley has admitted that her love life has been far from smooth sailing.
“I’ve just broken up with my boyfriend right now. My relationship has been a disaster, the whole time,” she told Jamie Laing on the Great Company Podcast earlier this year.
“What turns me off is a liar, someone who says they’ll be there and they’re not. But what I’m really grateful for is that I still have my mother and that she lives with me and I get these precious moments with her.”
The dance champion, who has been married twice and engaged four times, has described his son Mark, 39, and her mother Audrey as the true loves of his life.
“My mother is the only thing that has been a staple in my life. No boyfriend, no marriage, no nothing. All I keep saying at the end of the day is that I am blessed to have my son, and without the ride that I took, I wouldn’t have him, and then I wouldn’t have a grandson.”
Shirley’s romantic history stretches back to her teenage years: she was first engaged at the age of 16 to ballroom partner Nigel Tiffany, before marrying dancer Sammy Stopford at 19.
Four years later, she moved to America with Texan Danker Corky Ballas, marrying him in 1985 and welcoming their son, Mark, the following year. Their marriage ended in 2007.
Do you have a story?
If you have a celebrity story, video or pictures, get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing Celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or visiting our submission page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE: Who’s on Strictly Come Dancing in 2025? Full 15-star lineup revealed
More: Strictly 2025 star’s drop hints he’ll be out of the competition before the semi-finals
More: Strictly Stars’ very famous celebrity claims she acted like a ‘creep’ on BBC’s The One Show
