Shirley Ballas has cemented herself as one of Strictly fans' favourite judges, and the award-winning dancer certainly knows her stuff.
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The 62-year-old has sat on the judging panel since 2017, and started competing professionally when she was just ten years old. By 35, she had won the International Latin American Dance championship. But recently, the world-class dancer has made headlines for reasons other than her undeniable talent.
But the star doesn't just have for a love for the incredible art form, as she is also completely loved up with her beau of three years Daniel Taylor. The pair announced they were official in 2019 and now they are taking part in a fabulous new show "Unbreakable" to test their relationship. Here's everything you need to know about Daniel Taylor…
WATCH: Shirley takes HELLO! behind the scenes on Strictly
Who is Daniel Taylor?
Daniel is a 46-year-old actor, best known for acting in the West End. In fact, Daniel is said to be one of the UK's most successful theatre actors, but of course, has also secured screen roles in the past – including parts in Brookside and The Bill. Daniel is also a trained dancer – excelling in tap, ballroom and waltz – and in 2015 the talented performer released an album called The Party Is Over. David also has a son with actress Sharon Byatt.
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How did Daniel Taylor and Shirley Ballas meet?
Sweetly, the pair met during the 2018-2019 winter pantomime season, when both Shirley and Daniel were starring in a Christmas production of Jack and The Beanstalk at the Liverpool Empire. Their romance was confirmed in January 2019, when they were spotted strolling around London arm in arm.
The pair met during panto
What have Shirley Ballas and Daniel Taylor said about each other?
Shirley first confirmed that she was dating someone new in January 2019, when she told host Lorraine Kelly: "I've met somebody nice. "Since then, Shirley has barely stopped gushing about Danny.
In September last year, the Strictly judge spoke exclusively to HELLO! about her new man, even calling him 'The One'. Shirley explained: "I just love that man I just want to sit there all day and stare at him. He is 'The One'. We have a lot in common and we laugh all the time. He is part of the reason why I readjusted my life. Danny is just so magnificently special. I have met his parents and everybody likes each other. That’s a plus."
Shirley shared the news on Loose Women
The following month, Shirley again spoke about her new romance during an appearance on Loose Women, revealing that when they first met, Danny was in the midst of a difficult breakup. She told the panel: "We met on panto as friends. It didn’t really take off until March… for him. I fell in love way before... I think for me it was first sight." The famed dancer continued: "He was going through a difficult time in his relationship. We did become friends and then probably in about February I said, 'I love you Danny' and he said, 'I know'. It took a while."
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As for Danny, he's just as smitten, and often shares sweet snaps of his girlfriend on his Instagram page alongside adorable captions such as: "Good luck to this one @shirleyballas whose @bbcstrictly goes live tonight. She left a council estate on #Merseyside at the age of 14 to pursue a dream and became a world champion three times with two different dance partners.
"She applies the same work ethic to her charity work especially for #suicide and #mentalhealth In young men. Astonishing lady and human being."
The pair are so loved up
The pair are currently taking part in TV show Unbreakable and announcing the exciting news with a loved up photo last week, Shirely penned: "This October Danny and I will go head-to-head with five delightful couples to see if our relationship is unbreakable! We just loved the idea of doing a competition like this together, and we hope you all enjoy watching as we laugh our way through a series of tests and trials. "It’s couples therapy like no other, and we’re ready to score a perfect ten… Unbreakable will air on @bbcone and @bbciplayer on Thursday 6 October at 8pm. #BBCUnbreakable."
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