Strictly Come Dancing star Shirley Ballas' alleged stalker shields face as he leaves court

Kyle Shaw was in court after being accused of causing serious distress to Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas between 2017 and 2023

A man charged with stalking Shirley Ballas has appeared in court.

Kyle Shaw, 37, appeared before a judge in Liverpool today after being accused of causing serious distress to the BBC star between 2017 and 2023. The man was charged with stalking and a separate charge of possessing cannabis.

The defendant was seen wearing a black coat over a shirt and a tie as he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday. The hearing lasted a few minutes, and no pleas were entered. Shaw spoke only to confirm his name and that he understood what had been said.

Shaw was given bail with conditions including not to enter London and not to contact Ballas or her partner. A provisional trial date was set for January 12 next year, with the case expected to last five days. Judge Robert Trevor-Jones adjourned the case for a hearing on February 25.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge has been open about her experiences when she told The Mirror's Invite Only podcast: "There was one particular person who was kind of stalking me. That is under investigation at the moment, as we speak.

"I know his computer and phone, everything has been confiscated. He was taking pictures of my house, he had my house, he had my car. So, yes, there have been times when I have been fearful. I meet people and they really, the majority of people are fantastic, but then once or twice you'll, they lunge.... this one particular person will lunge at me, and he really feels he knows me. He feels he knows me. But he only knows me from the TV. Or from following me on social media. And that's quite alarming."

Speaking about her ordeal, Shirley said she would like to be "a free bird" but instead has to be very "vigilant".

"I always have George, the guy who's driven me for the last five years, get out of the car first, always scanning. I wouldn't say it's the healthiest thing. You know, I like to be kind of like a free bird, but we're coming into times now where you have to be more vigilant of yourself. I am a very vigilant person. When I go out, I'm careful not to go alone," she explained to us.

"If it's at night, I'm always a little bit nervous. There's what you read on social media, (and then) particularly with Holly - her experiences. So, yeah, I don't take anything lightly. There are many amazing people, but there are a few strange people out there. It's quite hard, and makes you always a little bit more precautious."

During the chat, Shirley praised the BBC for the support and revealed the message she sends her mum every single time she's out.

"You're upping your level of alarms. And (now) I always tell my mum: 'I'm here, I've arrived'. I wouldn't bother normally but it's become a thing that we do. I always like to say: 'I'm safe, I'm in the right place, I'm where I should be.' Thankfully the BBC's duty of care towards me has been one thousand percent, they have been fantastic," she said.

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