Strictly Come Dancing's Shirley Ballas almost gave up dancing due to bullying.
The star was appointed head judge in this year's competition but revealed the path to her dancing success has been a long and strenuous one. Shirley said she spent a lot of the start of her career "on the verge of a nervous breakdown," she said in a conversation with MailOnline.
The cause of her troubles were sourced back to "men at the top" of the industry who would often act as "bullies who like to control everything." Admitting they would often block her from receiving work, she said: "Being bullied was a big part of my life as a dancer.
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"These men caused me stress that was so bad I would pee all the time. It was like being on the edge of a nervous breakdown. They don't like successful women, or women who have a voice, or women who try and speak for other people. Our industry right now is divided because of this bullying."
Things have changed drastically for the dancing legend as she likened her current life to "going to Disneyland." The star said alongside regular counselling, Strictly has given her hope and she no longer worries about being bullied or how she looks.
Shirley struggled with an eating disorder whilst trying to break into the industry as she was always judged on her weight. She admits she only broke the negative thinking five years ago, saying she was "miserable" on diets and had vicious mood swings.
The Strictly judge has received consistent praise from viewers for her "tough but fair" stance in this year's show.
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