Shirley Ballas issues 'tough' update as she breaks silence after splitting from fiancé

By Jennie Buzaglo, Showbiz Reporter

Shirley Ballas has reportedly split from her fiancé Danny Taylor (Image: ITV)

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas issued a "tough" update as she broke her silence following her split from Danny Taylor.

The ballroom dancer, 64, and Danny, 51, parted ways three years after announcing their engagement, with insiders claiming it was Shirley who decided to call time on the relationship.

After news of her break-up was made public, Shirley shared a heartwarming screenshot of a video call with her long-time friend Alan Grundy on Instagram.

Alongside the picture, she penned: "When you have had a tough day and you see this smile @grundyalan you can hopefully sleep. My friend for many years."

The snaphot featured Alan's beaming face from his car, while Shirley could be seen confiding in him from the comfort of her bedroom.

Shirley admitted to having a "tough" day (Image: Instagram/Shirley)

Despite calling off their wedding earlier this year, Shirley and Danny remained together as she revealed it had nothing to do with their relationship. However, a source divulged to The Sun that the distance became too much for the couple, leading to the breakdown of their romance.

They said: "As with any break-up, it is, of course, a very sad situation. She gave her all to that relationship and in the end came to the realisation that it wasn't going anywhere. She made a lot of effort to see Danny and support his theatre and panto work, travelling up and down the country."

The insider continued: "Distance also played its part - Shirley lives in London with her mother and Danny remains based in Liverpool; that commute is a killer.

"But Shirley is a strong, resilient character and is looking better than ever. She will 100% bounce back - 2025 promises to be an absolute corker for her."

Shirley and Danny first met in 2018 (Image: Getty)

The former couple first crossed paths during a pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk in 2018, where the chemistry sparked almost instantaneously, especially for Shirley.

Shirley previously opened up about her love story with Danny, sharing how they became friends before a romance blossomed.

She recounted: "I think for me it was [at] first sight. He was going through a difficult time in his relationship. We did become friends and then probably in about February I said, 'I love you Danny' and he said, 'I know'. It took a while."

Back in January, Shirley said she "would have married Danny tomorrow" if he had asked before she got engaged, but went on to declare that she would never marry again.

Speaking on Alan Carr's Life's A Beach podcast, she said: "Two marriages, an engagement, two long-term relationships later and I will not be getting married again. I've made the decision."