I was anxious.depressed and DESOLATE

Shirley Ballas on battling depression, having a stalker and becoming single

- ARIANA LONGSON

A judge on one of TV's biggest and shiniest shows, it's easy to believe that Shirley Ballas lives a life of glitz and glamour. But the truth is that life hasn't always been kind to her. The Strictly star has been divorced twice and lost her brother David in 2003 after he tragically took his own life. And now Shirley has revealed that she feared she was 'heading down the same route' after the menopause left her 'anxious, depressed and desolate'. In her new book, Best Foot Forward, the professional dancer has opened up about her mental health battle, stalker ordeal and the breakdown of her relationship with ex fiancé Danny Taylor in November last year.

Every September since 2017, Shirley, 65, has returned to our screens as Strictly Come Dancing's head judge, looking the picture of elegance. But for many years the mum of one was putting on a smile for the cameras while feeling at her lowest.