Shirley Ballas's heartbreaking reason for calling off engagement to toyboy

Strictly Come Dancing star Shirley Ballas split from her partner last month after a six year romance, with the couple calling off their engagement last year.

While it's usually contestants who fall victim to the alleged Strictly Curse, judge Shirley Ballas has seemingly called it quits with her long-term partner Danny Taylor. The couple announced their engagement three years ago, but seemed to call it off last December amid doubts from Shirley.

Speaking to OK! in December 2023, Shirley said: "There was a point there where I wanted to get married. I was pushing it, pushing it, pushing it - and then there was one point where it was clear and obvious it was just me. So for me, marriage is off the table for now."

Shirley, 64, was still in a relationship with Danny, 51, at the time of the interview. But it was noted that Danny "didn't look convinced" at her marriage concerns, though he did agree the wedding was on the backburner.

"I have a tendency to jump into marriage," said Shirley, who has been married twice before, most famously to dancer Corky Ballas. "I thought I needed somebody, but I only need to rely on myself."

Now, it was reportedly the dancer who called time on the relationship with her partner. A source told The Sun that distance played a part in the end of Shirley's relationship, describing it as "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 source said.

"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."

The couple are thought to have remained friends following the split, with both still following each other on social media. Speaking on Alan Carr's Life's A Beach podcast, released on Monday, Shirley said: "Two marriages, an engagement, two long-term relationships later and I will not be getting married again. I've made the decision".

Shirley had initially declared she would marry Danny "tomorrow if he asked me" before their engagement in 2021, but it seems she became less keen on the idea over time. The couple first met in 2018 while starring in a pantomime together.

Danny has also tried his hand at acting, starring in soaps including Brookside and The Bill. Speaking about their romance, Shirley, who replaced the late Len Goodman on the BBC dance show, previously said: "We met on panto as friends. It didn’t really take off until March… for him. I fell in love way before... 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."

In June, Shirley's son who followed in his mum's footsteps and appeared on Dancing With The Stars, furiously denied allegations that the pair had split. At the time, Shirley then spoke out addressing the claims and said she had "changed her mind" about marrying Danny after going through a divorce twice before.

She added: "Danny and I are still together contrary to anything you might read. Who knows [if we'll get married]." The Mirror has contacted the BBC star for a comment.