Shirley Ballas afraid to leave house over death threats and vile coffin images

02 October 2023 , 22:23

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Shirley Ballas afraid to leave house over death threats and vile coffin images

Strictly Come Dancing's Shirley Ballas has revealed that she's scared to leave her home after receiving graphic death threats from vile bullies.

The 63-year-old, who has served as head judge on the BBC One reality show since 2017, opened up about the horrifying ordeal in Olivia Atwood 's upcoming documentary about trolling.

"I've had people draw coffins with me in it with somebody with a spade that said, 'Die you bitch,'" Shirley tells the Love Island star in the eye-opening ITVX special. "It’s when it is personal about myself and my family and it affects my mental health."

Shirley goes on to admit that the abuse has made her afraid to leave her home over fears that the trolls who bully her on the Internet could also target her in real life. "I am talking about being in public. You worry about those same strange people that write these kinds of messages," she explained. "Are they lurking in dark corners? Are they hiding behind walls when you go somewhere?"

Shirley has been the victim of horrific trolling since becoming Strictly's head judge (PA)

At another point of the episode, Shirley says that thinking about the individuals behind the abusive comments can sometimes keep her from sleeping soundly.

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"I lie there and wonder, Are they suffering? Are they lonely? Is it funny to them?" The distressing experience has left her "much more vigilant" as she confesses she can no longer go outside without being "on point."

"I never relax. It has changed my life completely I would say," she added. Shirley even told the Mirror last year that out of all the messages she receives after voting a contestant off Strictly, “one in five were hateful” and accused her of being biased towards certain celebrities. She also said that the abuse had "snowballed" out of control during the 2022 season, impacting her in "such a negative way" and leaving her at "an all-time low."

In 2017, Shirley admitted that she'd recruited a "university mathematician" to censor out her trolling messages on social media. And I'll have a good strong team of friends around me so I think I know what to expect this year because every time I send somebody home, it's always going to be someone's favourite," she added.

"If you put them in the bottom two, I have to send somebody home if the judges don't agree. That's the sad part of my job and I do it without fear or favour and I keep the best dancer in my 50 years' experience."

Emma Dooney