Shirley Ballas reveals she has no interest in dating after ex Danny Taylor did some ‘quite unforgivable things’ and she was left ‘constantly worrying’ during their relationship

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Shirley Ballas has said she’s not looking to date anyone right now, as her previous partner, Danny Taylor, hurt her deeply with actions she considers unforgivable.

Strictly Come Dancing judge, 65, and Danny dated for six years after meeting in 2018. However, she later revealed she spent much of the relationship feeling worried and anxious.

Shirley recently explained in an interview the reasons behind her decision to end the engagement and what she’s planning to do next.

The television star, who has been married twice and engaged four times, has stated she doesn’t plan on having a boyfriend anytime soon.

She described how Danny frequently went missing, and this brought back painful memories of her brother David’s suicide in 2003, when he was 44 years old.

She always worried he might end his own life, and felt like he was slowly withdrawing from everything, she explained.

Shirley explained to The Times that she reached a point where the situation was consistently distressing, so she decided to end it. She felt it was better to be independent than to constantly feel worried and stressed about someone else.

Look, he’s definitely done things I can’t excuse, things that really happened behind closed doors. But honestly, I’m doing alright right now. I’m not seeing anyone, and I’m not looking for labels – no ‘boyfriend’ or anything like that. I just want to keep things casual, if anything happens at all.

Shirley was first engaged at the age of 16 to her then-ballroom partner Nigel Tiffany. 

Shirley was married to ballroom dancer Sammy Stopford for four years during the 1980s. He was her first husband.

She married her dance partner, Sammy Stopford, at 19, but they divorced after four years. She then moved to America with Texan dancer Corky Ballas.

They got married in 1985 and had a son, Mark, in 1986. As a couple, they achieved great success in dance competitions before separating in 2007.

She became the head judge on Strictly in 2017 and quickly became popular with viewers thanks to her expertise, high standards, and friendly personality. The following year, she met Danny while working on a pantomime.

Shirley revealed her six-year relationship with Taylor ended in late 2024, and she described the breakup as a complete disaster.

She later shared the point when she realized the relationship was unsalvageable, and explained how his leaving made it clear it was over.

Shirley was celebrating her 64th birthday with her 87-year-old mother, Audrey, when she received a call informing her that her fiancé, Danny, was missing.

Oh my gosh, she actually said it! She told The Mirror that just thinking about it all brought everything rushing back – like a total wave of feelings! It’s like, all those memories just hit her, and it was so emotional, you guys! I totally get it, honestly. It’s just… everything!

She spent the next few hours trying to track Danny down, calling around all his friends and family.

By 2 a.m. the next morning, she saw he had read her messages asking where he was and expressing her concern.

Shirley was incredibly upset when Danny returned the following day and acted like their previous encounter hadn’t even occurred.

It hit me like a ton of bricks – I finally understood I couldn’t keep someone around who consistently caused me that much pain. It was a really tough realization, but ultimately a freeing one. I knew I deserved better, and that meant letting go. As a lifestyle expert, I always tell people: protecting your peace is non-negotiable, and sometimes that means making difficult choices about who you allow into your life.

‘I will never forget that day until the day I die. I remember looking across in the middle of the night and I saw my mother was just so upset, reliving all of her trauma,’ she said.

‘I just thought “this can’t go on”. Not just for my sake, but my mum too.’

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help. You can contact Lifeline at 131 114 or Beyond Blue at 1300 224 636.

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2026-04-11 20:19