'If they keep asking me, I'll be on Strictly until I pop my clogs

Strictly legend Shirley Ballas on Christmas at home, finding replacements for Tess and Claudia on the show, and the special man in her life

- WORDS: LAUREN MORRIS

Dancing queen Shirley Ballas will be making a cameo at Christmases across the country, as families tune in to this year's Strictly Come Dancing festive special. However, the head judge of the sparkly BBC show admits that, sadly, she can't have her own family under one roof for the holidays, with her son and grandson on the other side of the world.

The 65-year-old, who has son Mark Ballas with ex-husband Corky, is spending Christmas in the UK with her mum Audrey, who has suffered with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) since 2022. Due to her health issues, Audrey is no longer able to travel or visit her grandson and his family, who are based in the US.

"I see them five or six times a year at the moment, because obviously, with my mum being in remission of cancer, and now with the COPD, she can’t travel any more, and I like to be at home with her," Shirley says.

However, Dancing With The Stars professional Mark and his two-year-old son Banksi always stay in touch.

"My son is the best person at calling his mum and his gran. He knows we're together and he FaceTimes us pretty much every day," she gushes.

"If anything exciting is going on or the baby does this or that, he's the first one on the phone to tell us and share with us, so I do feel quite a big part of their lives."

This year, Shirley is preparing for a cosy Christmas with her mum, who she is extremely close to - and is looking forward to her mum's famous Yule log.