She made her red carpet debut with boyfriend Daniel Taylor in July – but Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas has already dropped a huge hint that their blossoming romance could soon see them tie the knot. The Rumba queen admitted in an interview that she is hoping for a very special gift this Christmas – a diamond ring! "I'd love Danny to ask me to marry him this Christmas," she told Woman & Home. "I'm so excited for my first Christmas with Danny. We'll learn more about each other although we get on well."
This year will be the first time Shirley has celebrated Christmas in 16 years – having boycotted the holiday since 2003 when her brother David took his own life during the festive season. But she now admits Danny has changed her outlook on the holiday. She added: "He has changed my whole perception on Christmas."
Shirley and Daniel met at the end of 2018
In July, the 59-year-old dropped another huge marriage hint while attending the wedding of two of her close friends in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she caught the bride's bouquet! Sharing a video on her Instagram, Shirley looked delighted to be holding the stunning bouquet of flowers. Captioning the clip, she wrote: "Am I next lol" and could be heard in the video saying: "Could I be next? Watch this space. Am I getting married? Is it me?"
Is marriage in Shirley's future?
Shirley has been dating actor Daniel since the end of last year after meeting on the set of their panto, Jack and the Beanstalk. She previously admitted she is the happiest she's ever been. "It's hard to find somebody who's compatible with you," she told the Mirror in May. "I feel like I've come full circle and I've found somebody. It's great to have found him after being single for so long."
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Shirley would love Daniel to propose
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The TV judge also revealed that her family approves of Daniel. She added: "The whole family and my friends love him. He has the same profession as my son, Mark. They're both actors. All I can say now is if this is what happiness is I've never experienced it."
Shirley shares her 33-year-old son Mark, a pro dancer on Dancing with the Stars, with her ex-husband Corky Ballas. The pair were married for over 20 years. Before him, Shirley was married to her dance partner Sammy Stopford.
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