Shirley Ballas’ ex Danny Taylor, 52, calls new girlfriend Rachel Jones, 40, an ‘absolute corker’ who has helped him through ‘murky waters’ following split from Strictly judge, 64

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Shirley Ballas‘ former partner, Danny Taylor, has spoken highly of his new girlfriend, describing her as wonderful and a source of support during a difficult year.

Danny has started dating Rachel Jones, a 40-year-old mother of two, following his breakup with the 64-year-old Strictly Come Dancing judge, according to Richard Eden of the Daily Mail.

Danny, after ending a six-year relationship with Shirley, recently shared online how his new partner has been a source of support during a difficult time.

He posted photos of Shirley on Facebook, showing her enjoying a vacation and relaxing in a beer garden, with a message wishing her a very happy birthday and calling her ‘amazing’.

She’s incredibly kind, funny, and strong – a wonderful mum to her two sons. She’s been a huge support to me through a really difficult year, and I’m so grateful for her sense of humor. Sending lots of love! – Normster

People began to suspect Danny was dating Rachel after he posted a picture of her in a bikini from their vacation, jokingly writing, ‘Could’ve had a worse Sunday’.

The photo surfaced in June, only seven months after he disappeared, which deeply upset Shirley, especially because it was her birthday.

Rache, the director of a Merseyside recruitment company, enjoyed the sunshine with Shirley on their romantic trip. Rache is 14 years younger than Shirley.

Shirley, who has been married twice and engaged four times in the past, revealed she and Taylor ended their six-year relationship last year, calling it a difficult experience.

In August, Shirley revealed the moment she knew ‘it couldn’t go on’.

Looking back, his sudden vanishing was the final sign our relationship was over. It instantly reminded me of the devastating loss of her brother, David, who tragically took his own life back in 2003. It brought all that pain rushing back, and I knew then we couldn’t continue.

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

She told The Mirror: ‘All those memories came flooding back… it triggered all these emotions.’

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

She noticed by 2 a.m. that he had seen her messages, which she’d sent because she was worried about where he was.

Shirley was really angry when Danny showed up again the next day and acted like their previous interaction hadn’t even happened.

It was then she understood she couldn’t continue letting someone cause her so much pain.

I’ll never forget that night. I looked over and saw my mother deeply distressed, clearly revisiting painful memories,” she said.

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

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

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 tied the knot in 1985 and welcomed son Mark the following year. The pair split in 2007.

Shirley recently denied getting a facelift, explaining her dramatic new look just before the start of the show Strictly Come Dancing.

She revealed she feels two decades younger and proudly displayed the results of a remarkable non-surgical facelift.

Shirley recently spent £4,400 on cosmetic treatments, including a series of advanced nitrogen plasma treatments performed by leading Harley Street doctor, Dr. Johanna Ward.

The BBC star looks remarkably youthful after completing seven months of treatments. She shared her excitement about her transformation, saying she feels more confident and is prepared to compete on Strictly, which begins this Saturday.

Shirley shared that while posting photos on Instagram celebrating her 65th birthday with her mother, some people made unkind comments. They complimented her mother’s appearance but then accused Shirley of having extensive cosmetic surgery, like facelifts.

Let me be clear: I’ve never had a facelift, not even a minor one. As you can see, I don’t have any scars or stitches.

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2025-10-29 13:04