Inside Shirley Ballas' age-gap romance with fiancé as she cancels wedding

10 January 2024 , 09:10

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Shirley Ballas has called off her wedding to fiancé Danny Taylor

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has cancelled her wedding to fiancé Danny Taylor.

The 63-year-old declared she would "not be getting married again" after having already walked down the aisle twice. She started dating Danny, 53, back in 2019 after they met during a pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Actor Danny and the dance judge hit it off and saw each other regularly despite their busy schedules.

While the couple have kept details of their relationship outside of the spotlight, last year Shirley shared that she wanted to postpone her wedding as she had plans to travel and hoped to spend the summer with her close ones. "Two marriages, an engagement, two long-term relationships later and I will not be getting married again.

Shirley and Danny started dating in 2019 (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

The Strictly head judge had to deny split rumours last year (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

"I’ve made the decision," she said on Alan Carr's Life's A Beach podcast released on Monday. While in an interview last year, she toldMailOnline: "I've changed my mind. I just feel that at this particular point in my life, my mother and I have got this great relationship and we want to do some travelling and there is different things we want to do. [The relationship is] going good – I’m busy, he’s busy and we talk to each other every day – several times a day, and my mum talks to him as well," she added, referring to their long-distance romance."

Engagement

Shirley seemed more than keen to tie the knot for a third time when she first met Danny. Speaking about him in 2019, she said: “I would marry him tomorrow, if he asked me. If this is what love is, I have never experienced it before.” She continued: "He's very kind and very ­caring — he's always there for me. I hope he'll propose one day but he's never married and I think he's a bit nervous about it, so we'll see. Come on, Danny!"

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The Strictly head judge has previously referred to Danny as 'the one' in an interview with HELLO! magazine. "We have a lot in common and we laugh all the time. He is part of the reason why I readjusted my life. Danny is just so magnificently special. I have met his parents and everybody likes each other. That’s a plus."

She has also gushed about how "life is easier" with Danny. Revealing her body and self-esteem issues continue to plague her in her 60s, she said: “Those habits die hard. I’m not going to lie, they are ongoing. But Danny is probably the first person who has liked every bit of me, whether I’m a few pounds lighter or heavier. He doesn’t see all that. Life with him is the easiest it’s ever been with any man.”

Split rumours

Back in August 2023, Shirley and Danny's romance was rocked by split rumours - but the Strictly judge quickly put the reports to bed, saying online: "Danny [and I], we're still together after four and a half years. That's miraculous. He has a very busy schedule and I have a very busy schedule.

"He's in the north and I'm in the south, but somehow we do try to make it work, so that's good. What I like most about Danny is he has a heart of gold and he puts up with my lifestyle. I am like the Tasmanian devil and I'm all over the place." She has previously explained how distance hasn't got in the way of their love for each other.

Shirley and Danny keep in touch through FaceTime and they have trust in one another. During a chat with the Mirror, she previously said: "I don't think I do too well on the relationship side. Danny and I are always busy. But, we have have respect, we have trust, we have FaceTime so we're constantly talking to each other. I trust him, he trusts me. He's too busy, I'm too busy."

Previous marriages

Shirley with second husband, American ballroom dancer Corky Ballas (Daily Record)

Shirley’s first husband was dance partner Sammy Stopford, who she tied the knot with when she was just 18. The pair wed in 1980 and went on to win a string of dancing competitions together, including the Professional Latin at Blackpool Dance Festival in 1983. But just four years after saying "I do" the couple went their separate ways and filed for divorce in 1984.

The pair have remained close friends over the years and in 2017 Shirley was even spotted having lunch with her ex-husband. However, Shirley’s second marriage to American ballroom dancer Corky Ballas couldn’t have been more different. They met at a dance competition in Canada and wed in 1985.

They remained married for 22 years and had a son Mark, now 36, before splitting in 2007. In her 2020 memoir, Behind The Sequins, Shirley claimed Corky had “multiple girlfriends” even when she moved to America for him, adding: “I gave up my life for that man.” Shirley also accused Corky of fat-shaming her throughout their marriage – even when she was pregnant with their son.

Mia O'Hare