Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has revealed that she may never return to the coveted BBC dancing competition, after trolls made her life a living hell week in, week out.
The 62-year-old has said that she was left shook by jabs and jibes - with talks ongoing as to her future with the show. As of yet, she hasn't signed up for a new series.
The top dog admitted that she was in tears and left at 'an all time low' through vicious and hateful messages, which poured in after each and every episode of the latest season, with horrid social media users accusing her of sexism and ageism - as well as taking brutal swipes at her appearance.
Read more: Strictly's Giovanni Pernice celebrates ratings for new BBC show with Anton as he 'snubs' tour
The Mirror reports Shirley yesterday admitted that while she loves her job, she is hesitant about returning this year after “hugely struggling” with the toll. The BBC are in talks to keep “Queen of Latin” Shirley – loved and revered by millions as the smiling face of Strictly.
In an exclusive interview, the dance champion turned TV expert reveals: “Last year I was struggling. It wasn’t just a little bit, it was a lot – the majority of it was in silence. I felt the abuse snowballed out of control and impacted me in such a negative way. I’m a pretty stoic person, and I tend to hold everything in.
“When it all kicked off, it seemed like it was larger than anything else. I was crying, I was emotional, but I was embarrassed about being so emotional. I didn’t want to talk to anybody about it.
“And that was an all-time low since I joined the show – it was the most negativity I’d ever experienced. The BBC were brilliant, checking in on me and offering counselling and support.”
Shirley replaced Len Goodman as head judge in 2017. Asked if she has considered quitting the show, she replies carefully: “It was a difficult series, I’ll leave it at that.
“After the Strictly tour I decided to take a break from TV and re-focus on my own industry for a while, to protect my sanity. I’m fortunate I have two jobs, running parallel, so it was much easier to take a break from TV and look after myself and my well-being.
“Will I go back to Strictly? I always take one step at a time. I absolutely love the job. If it was just that, and there was nothing else surrounding it, I can’t think of a more rewarding job to do.”
It was the scale of trolling – one in five messages were hate-filled – and the vitriolic tone which shook Shirley. Many slammed her over her casting vote in the Strictly dance-offs.
Shirley added: “At one point I had thousands of messages coming in if I sent someone home. Some of the messages were truly awful. It didn’t matter what I did, I didn’t like old people, I didn’t like young people, I didn’t like men, I didn’t like women. I just felt like no matter what I said, I couldn’t win.
“I’m proud of the fact I can sleep at night when it comes to the judgments I make on dancing. I’ve never regretted sending someone home based on their performance in the dance-off, even if my heart has ached for them, and all the effort they’ve put in. Some people did also attack how I looked.
"But I’ve had husbands in the past who haven’t critiqued me in the best light, so I’ve built a wall around that. I don’t need anyone to say to me, ‘You’ve got thin hair, why are you using extensions, your ears are too big, did you know your nose is crooked, you’ve got a funny eye’. I’m my own worst critic.”
She continued, with a chuckle: “Just call me wonky, one-eyed Shirley. Big-eared, wonky one-eyed Shirley, how does that sound?”
Shirley, who stars alongside fellow Strictly judges Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse, says she has leaned on partner Danny Taylor for support.
* Murder On The Dance Floor by Shirley Ballas (HQ, £16.99) is out on October 12.
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