Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has revealed she feared for her life after a terrifying choking incident just half an hour before Saturday's live show from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
The Backstage Emergency
The 65-year-old professional dancer was preparing backstage for the episode, which was broadcast live to an audience of around seven million viewers, when a fishbone became lodged in her throat. Ballas described the moment as utterly terrifying, confessing she genuinely believed it was "the end".
In a post on her Instagram account, Ballas credited her "wonderful" assistant, Jane, for saving her life. Jane, who has worked with Ballas for nine years, promptly performed the Heimlich manoeuvre, successfully dislodging the obstruction.
'I Really Thought That Was It'
"I choked on a fishbone," Ballas wrote. "It got lodged in my throat and my wonderful Jane... did the Heimlich manoeuvre and we got the bone out." She expressed her profound gratitude, adding, "I panicked. I really thought that was it, the end, amen. But for 20 minutes there, it was lodged and I couldn't breathe so it was terrifying."
The judge later made a light-hearted but stark remark about the seriousness of the situation, joking that "We'd have been a judge down tonight if it wasn't for [Jane]." Following the show, Ballas returned to London, reporting to fans that she was "a bit hoarse but all is good".
Vowing to Learn a Life-Saving Skill
The scary experience has prompted Shirley Ballas to take action. She has now vowed to learn the Heimlich manoeuvre herself. The emergency procedure involves performing abdominal thrusts on a choking person to force air from their lungs and expel the object blocking their airway.
On Sunday, the day after the incident, Ballas posted a clip to Instagram with her team, captioning it: "Actual footage of my team coming to save me after my Blackpool fish got stuck in my throat." Fans flooded the comments with relief and support, with one writing, "So pleased that you're OK, must have been a scary moment. Huge thanks to the team for helping you."
The incident occurred on Saturday, 22nd November 2025, ahead of the much-anticipated Blackpool special of the hit BBC dance competition.
