Shirley Ballas, the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, has declared that she will die in her dance shoes as she shared her health and wellness philosophy. The Wallasey-born star, known as the 'Queen of Latin', aims to keep dancing for as long as possible and is meticulous about her diet and body care.
Health Regime and Cold Water Therapy
In a recent interview with PA News Agency, the 65-year-old revealed that cold water therapy, clean eating, and dance are the pillars of her fitness routine. 'I drink a lot of water, I have ice baths and freezing cold showers. I don't think I've been in a warm shower for years,' she said. She avoids junk food and reads every label, stating, 'If you've got to read the label, it's not going to be good for you. I'm a little bit of a health freak.'
Ballas also commented on popular weight-loss jabs, saying, 'Everybody's now gone on all these jabs, but nobody knows what the outcome of that's going to be. So, I believe the right way is to keep your weight in check. But that's me, and everybody's entitled to their opinion.' She allows herself occasional treats, like a teaspoon of her mother's trifle, but avoids indulgence. 'I will die of dancing, in my dance shoes,' she added.
Dance as Fitness
The dance teacher's passion for dance remains strong. 'Dance gets your heart rate up and uses every muscle that you have in the body, so it's great for your fitness. I dance every day and want to do that for as long as I possibly can,' she explained.
Living with Her Mother
Shirley lives in south-east London with her 88-year-old mother, Audrey Rich, who often questions her daughter's rigorous health regime. 'My mum thinks I'm over the top with my health. She doesn't do cold showers, and wouldn't get in a cold bath. She likes a roast dinner and that is proper food to her. So, it's difficult, but I navigate that between her and I, because I like her to keep comfortable. I don't argue with her. She does that, I do this, and we meet somewhere in the middle,' Shirley said.
Audrey was diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in 2022. This condition makes it harder to move air in and out of the lungs, causing breathlessness. Shirley has become extra vigilant about her mother's environment. 'I don't smoke, I don't believe in vapes and I'm really careful about the environments I go around. As my mum's carer, which I now tell her I am, I have to be vigilant about how long she's out and have to always think about if there's a chair for her to sit on. I'm always doing her hands with disinfectant, which she hates, and bring a mask for her when we go out, which she also hates,' she shared.
Managing Stress
In her busy career and relationships, Shirley relies on breathing and stepping back to manage stress. 'I live in a stressful situation with my ongoing teaching and dealing with the couples' problems. So, it's not just my mother I care for. It's all the teams that work with me. There's a lot of stress, but I try to hang it up at my front door. My advice to other people dealing with stress would be to breathe, take a minute and sometimes you just need to walk away from the situation,' she advised.
Strictly Come Dancing returns later this year.
