24 October 2023 , 21:08
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Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas admits she hasn't seen her younger boyfriend Danny Taylor since August as their busy schedule is keeping them apart.
63-year-old ballroom dancer Shirley and 50-year-old Danny have been dating for over five years. The pair first met while performing in the pantomime in 2018. Opening up about their relationship, she explained: "He's just as busy as well. He’s currently doing a play called By The Waters of Liverpool, and he’s also got a 13-year-old son."
But Shirley says they've been making it work, and are communicating on a regular basis. "We talk regularly on the phone, so I suppose you could say we have a good FaceTime relationship. But it works. I’m not interested in getting another boyfriend, and he’s not interested in getting another girlfriend."
Shirley Ballas has addressed her romance with younger actor Danny Taylor (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
The Strictly Come Dancing judge previously shut down rumours she and Danny had split (PA)The TV judge said she appreciates their “unconventional” romance - and neither one of them has the desire to walk down the aisle. The couple discussed their future together and agreed they were on the same page. While Shirley has been married twice before, Danny has only been in serious relationships.
She said: "I actually told [Danny] on Valentine’s Day, while we were having dinner at the Shard. Romantic, right? I just decided it wasn't for me. I've got a grandbaby coming, he's got a teenager - it just feels good for both of us to have that sense of freedom."
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"He doesn't have to ask me if he wants to do something, and nor I him. Besides, he's never been married - I think he likes the idea of being a spinster, if that's the right word. And I've been married twice already."
She continued: "I did enjoy being married - and when I told my son I wasn't going to get married again, he did say, “Well, it was you who pushed for it in the first place.“ That was true - it was never Danny saying he wanted to get married, it was always coming from me. I was being a bit pushy and I just realised I had to back off a bit and think, “OK, I don’t need this. I need to not be so co-dependent, I just need to be dependent on myself.“ As I sit here today, I don’t want to get married.'
Previously, Shirley gushed over Danny, amid rumours they had split, saying: “I think Danny and I have a very nice relationship and he is, by far, the kindest and nicest man that I have met." she told The Sun on Sunday.