Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas once “punched” an alleged love rival straight in the mouth.
Head judge Shirley – who is on Saturday Kitchen today (November 6) – previously admitted she thumped the unnamed woman after she claimed to have slept with her then-husband Corky.
Shirley, 61, said she is “not proud” of the incident, which happened many years ago at the British National Dance Championships.
What did Strictly just Shirley Ballas say about the ‘punch’?
Writing in her autobiography, the Strictly star said: “The woman in question sidled up to me, clearly the worse for a drink or two, and said: ‘You and I need to talk.’
“I tried to duck it, saying I had nothing to say to her, but she refused to budge.
“Suddenly, it seemed as if everything went into slow motion as I turned round to face her, just as she said: ‘You need to get used to the fact that I [bleep]ed your husband.'”
Shirley went on to explain in her 2020 memoir Behind The Sequins: My Life that she had “two angels” on her shoulders.
“There was a little white angel on one of my shoulders and a little red angel on the other one,” she penned.
“The white angel told me ‘keep walking’, while the red angel said ‘sock her in the gob’. So that’s what I did.
“I punched her and she rolled away. I’m not proud.”
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Shirley married American ballroom dancer Corky in 1985. The following year, they welcomed son Mark together.
But the couple split in 2003 after 22 years of marriage.
Both Shirley and Corky have since told how their relationship was blighted by rows and arguments.
In 2017, Corky told The Sun: “We would argue every single day. We could have a blazing row and come out on the dance floor, and you could never tell.”
Name game
Shirley – who is happy in love with boyfriend Daniel Taylor – kept Corky’s surname following their divorce.
But in August this year, she told Loose Women viewers that her decision did not sit well with her ex-husband.
The twice-divorced star told panelist Janet Street Porter: “My maiden name was Rich and then it went to Stopford and then it went to Ballas.
“And when Corky and I got a divorce, he was actually the compere at an event I was adjudicating at and he refused to, point blank, to say Shirley Ballas.
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“He said it was not my name, I was not entitled to it but I had been married for 22 years and my son is Mark Ballas. I’ll be damned if I’m changing it!”
Shirley added: “And even if I were to get married again, it would be Shirley Ballas whatever!”
Janet told the Strictly star that she though her “fighting talk” was impressive.
Strictly Come Dancing continues at 6.45pm, BBC One, Saturday November 6.
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