Shirley Ballas: 'I wouldn’t get up in the morning and stand in front of the mirror'

The Strictly Come Dancing judge on her body-image battles,  the new series, and how she felt when her ex-husband referred to her mother as a 'termite' 

Shirley Ballas has just published her memoir. 

We’re used to seeing Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas in sequins and spangles, mile-high heels, not a false eyelash out of place or a painted nail chipped, as she offers contestants her words of wisdom and encouragement.

But today, the normally up-beat ‘Queen of Latin’ and no-nonsense judge has just returned a little tearful from a meeting with her counsellor, sparked by the heartache she has been reliving by writing her memoir, Behind The Sequins.