Shirley Ballas Recalls Crying Over a Breakup When Her Mum Slapped Her
Shirley Ballas, the renowned Strictly Come Dancing judge, recently shared a personal story about a difficult moment during a holiday with her mother, Audrey. The incident highlights the close and sometimes tough relationship between Shirley and her mum, as well as Shirley’s journey through love, dance, and family life.
Early Life and Love of Dance
Born in Wallasey (now Merseyside) in 1960, Shirley Ballas is one of the world’s most decorated ballroom and Latin dancers. She won the British Professional Latin Championship three times before retiring from competitive dancing in 1996. After retiring, she became a teacher and adjudicator, and in 2017, she joined the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing as a judge.
Shirley’s love of dance began at the age of seven when she heard music coming from a church hall and saw people dancing the cha-cha-cha. Her mother supported her passion despite financial challenges, working multiple jobs to afford Shirley’s dance classes, shoes, and dresses. Growing up in a single-parent family, Shirley learned responsibility early, helping with household chores and cooking.
Family Life and Relationship with Her Mother
Shirley’s parents divorced when she was two, and she was raised by her mother alongside her brother. Audrey, Shirley’s mum, worked hard to provide for the family, often juggling several jobs. This upbringing instilled a strong work ethic in Shirley, who admired her mother’s determination and resilience.
Shirley left home at 14 to live with the parents of her first dance partner and fiancé, Nigel Tiffany. Despite her mother’s advice not to marry young, Shirley married twice in her early adulthood, though neither marriage lasted.
Shirley and her mother now live together in London. Audrey has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung condition that causes breathlessness. Despite her illness and being in remission from cancer, Audrey remains spirited and independent, continuing to smoke and live life on her own terms.
Holiday Incident and Reflections on Parenting
During a cruise around Hawaii, Shirley was going through a breakup and found herself crying frequently. Her mother, tired of Shirley’s constant distress, slapped her across the face one morning at breakfast to stop the tears. Shirley described this as “old-school parenting.”
“I’d saved up for a long time to take her away, and we had the most remarkable time together. The only downside was I was coming out of a relationship and kept whining about it. At breakfast one morning, I was crying, so she smacked me round the face. You bet your life I shut up after that.”
Audrey explained that Shirley had been crying a lot during the trip, and the slap was a way to snap her out of it. She also recalled Shirley’s early years as a difficult baby who disliked traveling and was very conscientious as a child, wanting to be the best at everything.
Support and Shared Values
Despite the tough moments, Shirley credits her mother as her rock. Audrey helped care for Shirley’s son, enabling her to continue her career. The two share a strong bond, similar senses of humor, and a love of order and punctuality.
Shirley supports the Breathe Equal campaign with Sanofi to raise awareness of COPD and address stigma and inequalities in care, inspired by her mother’s experience with the disease.
Audrey remains proud of Shirley’s achievements and work ethic, describing her daughter as “headstrong” and a “busy bee.” Shirley, in turn, hopes she has made her mother proud and cherishes their time living together.
