Strictly Come Dancing’s head judge Shirley Ballas has clarified her relationship status with her former fiancé Danny Taylor after it was reported that the pair might have parted ways. Despite claiming that the pair were "good friends" in a recent interview, the 62-year-old has since said that they are still together.
Chatting to The Sun, she explained: "Danny, we’re still together after four-and-a-half years. That’s miraculous. He has a very busy schedule and I have a very busy schedule. He’s in the north and I’m in the south, but somehow we do try to make it work, so that’s good."
She continued: "What I like most about Danny is he has a heart of gold and he puts up with my lifestyle."
Shirley previously opened up about her decision to call off the engagement with Danny, telling the MailOnline back in June: "I've changed my mind. I just feel that at this particular point in my life, my mother and I have got this great relationship and we want to do some travelling and there are different things we want to do.
© Photo: Getty Images"[The relationship is] going good – I’m busy, he’s busy and we talk to each other every day – several times a day, and my mum talks to him as well."
She added to The Mirror: "I have decided that – with Danny’s blessing – I’m not in a position at the moment where I want to get married."
The star has walked down the aisle twice in the past, and was previously married to Sammy Stopford from 1980 to 1984, before tying the knot with Corky Ballas from 1985 to 2007. She shares one son, Mark, with Corky, who is a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars.
The pair have a close relationship, with Shirley revealing that finally seeing him in 2022 after three years due to the COVID pandemic was her "proudest achievement" of 2022, telling the Express: "My proudest achievement this year was that I got to fly to the United States and hold my son in my arms after three years of not seeing him. That is the proudest moment that I have had this year." Aw!
Shirley will, of course, be back as the head judge for the 2023 competition - and we can’t wait! However, the star has previously spoken candidly about being trolled online for her judging comments during the show, explaining on Loose Women back in 2022: "Saturdays are always like going to Disney Land, it's the ultimate job. It's where you really enjoy it. I do read everything. I know people say, 'Oh don't read it', but I think it's quite important.
"I like to feel like I've helped so many people who have mental health issues over the years. But it is really hurtful. Some of the language is so explicit I couldn't even retweet them. They're so explicit, it's just unfathomable how people think about it. You don't have to agree with me, I don't have to agree with the panel, and they don't have to agree with me. That's okay. But we can still talk to each other in a human-like fashion."
