Shirley Ballas has revealed the decision that ‘changed her life forever’ as she opened up on putting her personal life on hold for her career during a new interview.
The dancer, 64, had a successful Latin dance career before joining the Strictly Come Dancing panel in 2017 as she replaced head judge Len Goodman.
Away from the ballroom and Latin dance floor, the mother of one has also had a busy romantic life with two ex-husbands and a former fiancé.
During an appearance on Jennie Becker’s Sliding Doors podcast, Shirley revealed the moment her career took off, but explained she had to put marriage and kids on hold.
She explained: ‘I was engaged to a man called Nigel Tiffany and we had recently moved to Croydon. I was a secretary, highly underqualified but managed to talk my way into the job.
Shirley Ballas has revealed the decision that ‘changed her life forever’ as she opened up on putting her personal life on hold for her career during a new interview
The dancer, 64, had a successful Latin dance career before joining the Strictly Come Dancing panel in 2017 as she replaced head judge Len Goodman
‘Everything was going fine, we were very very happy and then I was at work one day when my teacher Nina called me and she said, “do you really want to get married and have a family or do you want a real chance at stardom?”
‘Now Nigel was a ballroom dancer and he was doing very well in that, but my heart was always with the Latin and she wanted me to try with a man called Sammy Stopford.
‘I was miles away from where he was, but she said I have ten minutes to think about it and then try out would be at the studio tomorrow. Don’t tell Nigel when you go home and we’ll go from there.’
Shirley went against what her dance teacher had asked, adding: ‘I went home and I told him and he got most upset. I ended up leaving with my clothes in plastic bags and ended up meeting my long-term girlfriend Denise because I stayed with her grandmother.
‘I then moved to Manchester with Sammy and we got married maybe 18 months later. We had the most amazing career in a short space of time so had I not made that decision, I’m sure I would be very happy with Nigel and had a lovely life, but I never would have fulfilled the dreams in Latin.
‘It changed my life forever, put me on a track to really having an opportunity in the world of Latin dancing.’
It was recently revealed that she has over £1 million in the bank.
In her role as head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, the former dancer, 64, earns a staggering pay check, bagging £1,080-a-day last year.
While appearing on Mel Giedroyc’s show Unforgivable she described the night where she and the woman had a ‘great big snog’ (seen with current partner Danny Taylor)
The Strictly head judge has been married twice, first to Sammy Stopford from 1980 to 1984, and then to Corky Ballas (pictured) from 1985 to 2007
Shirley was first married to Sammy, who she fell for when she became a professional dancer at age 17 and they remain good friends (seen together in 2017)
Shirley has been part of the BBC ’s flagship Saturday night dance competition since she replaced Len Goodman in 2017.
And just over a year later, she started her own firm Dance With Passion Ltd, which holds her increasing earnings.
According to the latest accounts filed on Companies House by March 31, 2024, the firm has seen ‘cash in the bank’ rise to £1,017,649.
In the past financial year, the company paid £98,614 in corporation tax, which suggests at a 25 per cent rate that Shirley made just shy of £400,000 in profit during that period.
It has been reported that the dance icon’s salary as Strictly’s head judge is around an eye-watering £500,000 – more than double what her fellow judges are said to earn.
Craig Revel-Horwood, who has appeared on the popular series since its inception in 2004, is said to be on £200,000.
Motsi Mabuse, who joined in 2019, is thought to be on the same pay, while newest judge Anton Du Beke, who used to be a dancer on the show, is said to be on £180,000.
Shirley is expected to make even more cash with future projects, having released her fictional debut last October.
It has been reported that the dance icon’s salary as Strictly’s head judge is around an eye-watering £500,000 – more than double what her fellow judges are said to earn (seen in 2019)
The crime novel, Murder on the Dance Floor, follows a private detective who goes undercover as a professional dancer to solve a murder.
It also features some racy content, with Shirley admitting: ‘I wouldn’t open it on an aeroplane if anybody else can read it, because there are some very saucy scenes.’
She could rake in even more, as the book – which was penned with the help of author Sheila McClure – is only part one of a planned series titled The Sequin Mysteries.
While Shirley has also sold the rights of Murder on the Dance Floor to a TV production company, who are turning it into a six-part series.
