Shirley Ballas admits she will ‘never feel safe again’ as she recounts the terrifying moment her stalker followed and confronted her 87-year-old mother Audrey in a supermarket

by

A persistent stalker, who caused immense distress to the “Strictly Come Dancing” star, Shirley Ballas, during a six-year long torment, was granted freedom instead of imprisonment earlier this year. The court learned that the perpetrator held a delusional belief that Shirley was his aunt.

Currently, at 64 years old, Shirley has decided to speak out about her harrowing experience. She disclosed that her stalker, Kyle Shaw, aged 37 from Wirral, once pursued and confronted her elderly mother of 87 in a supermarket. This incident left the entire family deeply shaken.

In a recent open interview, the head judge of Strictly spoke honestly about the lingering psychological wounds inflicted by the relentless harassment and confessed that she might never regain a sense of safety.

She expressed that due to a series of events, she no longer feels entirely secure and finds herself constantly vigilant. Life, in her opinion, shouldn’t have to be lived this way. This is the impact he has had on her and her family.

In her latest autobiography titled “Best Foot Forward,” Shirley meticulously outlines the extensive and unsettling nature of Kyle’s campaign. This includes ominous social media communications and a disturbing encounter with Kyle’s mother, Audrey, in a grocery store aisle.

I felt uneasy and couldn’t sleep peacefully in my own home, constantly worrying about his potential actions. Was he going to throw a bomb through the door or attempt to burn down the house? To alleviate my concerns, I installed smoke detectors throughout the property.

She remarked, as reported by The Sunday Mirror, “Given that he was willing to trail after an elderly woman in the supermarket, just think about what other things he might do to scare the wits out of my family.

2017 marked the start of a challenging journey for Shirley, as she stepped into her new role as Head Judge on Strictly, succeeding the esteemed Len Goodman who had passed away previously.

In the same year, Kyle initiated their online conversations, presenting himself as the son of Kyle’s deceased brother David, who tragically took his own life at the age of 44 in 2003.

Initially, Shirley and her group thought he was just eccentric, but the content quickly became disturbing and explicit.

As reported by The Mirror, a troubling message alleged that Kyle held Shirley accountable for the passing of her brother.

She eventually reported him to the police, who issued a warning – but it had no effect.

Instead of just harassing and attacking Shirley, he also started sending aggressive messages to other family members, such as her mother Audrey who is elderly.

It is said that he reportedly reached out to Shirley’s companions and dispatched shocking messages, employing such explicit language that she found it unbearable to recount it again.

Due to concerns about her security, Shirley opted to equip her residence with CCTV cameras and extra alarm systems, and she also gave up utilizing public transportation.

She was also given additional security by the BBC during Strictly and its nationwide tour. 

Concerningly, the harassment often intensified during August, coinciding with the start of publicity for the upcoming Strictly series.

Shirley shared that Kyle once advised her to “check behind me” and cautioned that he would “remain ever present.

Additionally, he shared a picture of her home and vehicle on social networking sites, implying that he would cause harm or damage to both her and her associates.

In 2023, when Shirley’s first book came out, Kyle bombarded her with menacing messages, implying that he could potentially attend one of her promotional tour events – a deeply unsettling ordeal for the author.

The turning point occurred when Kyle, in Liscard, trailed his mother through a supermarket and challenged her. In response, Shirley swiftly relocated Audrey to live with her in London.

Despite frequent contact with police, Shirley said she felt let down by the system. 

She commended Merseyside Police for their assistance but pointed out that the judicial system poses significant challenges when it comes to filing charges, thereby causing victims to feel confined or restricted.

It seems that she frequently expresses her belief that the law tends to intervene only after someone has already suffered physical harm, rather than preventing such harm from occurring.

So, all she could do was continue collecting the evidence and forwarding it on to the police.

In December 2023, Kyle was ultimately apprehended and indicted for stalking. At first, he denied the allegations, which meant that Shirley, her family, and close associates might have had to testify in a trial.

Shirley openly acknowledged that the prospect of a trial, along with her family testifying, made her extremely worried.

In the month of February 2025, I admitted my wrongdoings by changing my plea to guilty. Then, on the first day of April, the court imposed a 20-month suspended sentence upon me. As part of this ruling, I am prohibited from reaching out to Shirley or any member of her family ever again.

Read More

2025-08-31 00:05