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Shirley Annette Ballas was born on September 6, 1960, and raised in Wallasey, on Merseyside. Her string of International Latin championship titles earned her the nickname "the Queen of Latin," according to Wikipedia.
She started dancing at seven and was competing within a year. At 15 she moved to Shipley, West Yorkshire, to partner British Ballroom Champion Nigel Tiffany, then went to London, where she began dancing with Sammy Stopford. Together they won Professional Latin at the Blackpool Dance Festival in 1983. In 1985 she married American ballroom dancer Corky Ballas. The pair won Professional Latin at Blackpool in 1995 and 1996 and moved to Houston to compete in the US.
Ballas stopped competing in 1996 and became a coach and judge for ballroom and Latin competitions. She has given master classes and commentated on Dancing with the Stars. On May 9, 2017, the BBC named her Len Goodman's replacement as head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, and she made her debut on the panel at the series 15 launch that September.
In 2018, on Who Do You Think You Are?, she learned about family roots stretching back to Madagascar and Cape Town. She was "Rat" on the fifth series of The Masked Singer UK in 2024, and in December 2023 she was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, choosing songs including Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Moon River."
Follow this year's series with our guide Strictly Come Dancing 2026: who's left and how to vote, and read Dame Sarah Storey's Strictly goodbye.
Sources: Wikipedia
Britain's most decorated Paralympian became the third star to leave Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after an Icons Week dance-off, then posted the warmest goodbye to her pro partner.
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Read moreOur newest Shirley Ballas story, from October 19, 2026, is "Dame Sarah Storey Bows Out of Strictly, and Her Goodbye to Julian Caillon Hints at a Very On-Brand Next Adventure": Britain's most decorated Paralympian became the third star to leave Strictly Come Dancing 2026 after an Icons Week dance-off, then posted the warmest goodbye to her pro partner.
She was named Len Goodman's replacement on May 9, 2017, and debuted at the series 15 launch that September (Wikipedia).
Because of her many International Latin championship titles, including Blackpool Professional Latin wins in 1983, 1995 and 1996 (Wikipedia).
She was born on September 6, 1960, so she is 66 (Wikipedia).