The greatest DANCERS
THE BALLROOM CHAMPION
SHIRLEY BALLAS
She stormed Strictly as feisty head judge, replacing Len Goodman back in 2017, but it’s her reputation as the Queen of Latin that makes her dance royalty. Shirley began performing at the age of two, and by the time she was 23, she had won all worldwide titles in Latin.
When she met Corky Ballas – who she later married in the mid-1980s – at a Latin competition in Canada, they became the most successful Latin American champions in USA history.
As a judge, Shirley has made some controversial decisions (who can forget her booting out
