Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas has shared a personal update as she is feeling “blessed”. The Wallasey-born head judge will be returning to screens this weekend for the long-awaited launch show. A fresh batch of famous faces are getting glitzed and glammed ready to step foot in the ballroom.
Shirley has been the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing since 2017 following a successful dance career around the world. The 65-year-old is known as the “Queen of Latin” and grew up in the Wirral area.
She regularly keeps fans updated on her exciting life away from showbiz. In a recent post on Instagram, she shared two heart-warming snaps alongside her mum, who was turning 88.
To accompany the post, Shirley added a beautiful message. She wrote: “How blessed am I that I can still be by the side of my 88-year-old mother…happy birthday to my best friend, my world, my everything.
“You are the most incredible, inspirational, kind, caring, loving, very direct, bit of a pain in the ass person I know lol… sorry mum. You are irreplaceable, you are the queen of my world.
“Every day I go to work and I cannot wait to get home just to see what you’ve cooked, if you’ve been tidying and hanging up my clothes in my closet or to tell you about my stories from the dance studio.
“You get excited about the small things in life and I just love that about you. You are loved by sooo many, you truly do not know how many lives you have and continue to touch.”Onwards and upward, she’ll be 89 next year. I hope I can look just as good as my mother does at 88. I want to be the role model to other people that she’s been to me. I feel blessed and gifted to have her as my mother.”We’ve had the most beautiful day @the_ivy_collection @thevipsuite enjoying the most fantastic food and even had a call from our little Banksi shouting Nanny Nanny down the phone @bcjean @markballas…The one and only queen of my life x.”
Hundreds of fans, as well as some of the Strictly Come Dancing stars, rushed to the comments to send their best wishes. Professional dancer Amy Dowden wrote: “Happy birthday Audrey” with a love heart emoji. Carlos Gu also said: “Audrey is a fabulous woman! Xx.”
TV star Angellica Bell said: “Just love you both! Happy Birthday! Xx” while Paul Brunson added: “Wishing your mother the very best birthday and year ahead.”
As well as getting ready for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing, Shirley Ballas is also focusing on a more personal update. Amid all of the excitement surrounding the hit BBC dancing programme, Shirley has recently released her new book titled “Best Foot Forward”.
She told fans the book includes “life lessons from the world of dance” and that she is “raw and honest” throughout. The book takes readers on Shirley’s personal journey as she learns how to live life to the fullest. The book ends with a letter Shirley’s own mum has written for her.