Strictly's Shirley Ballas, 64, splits from partner Danny, 51, after six year romance

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has reportedly split with her partner of six years Danny Taylor after she cast doubt if they would tie the knot in a recent interview

It is usually celebrity contestants or professional dancers who face the infamous Strictly curse, but now it seems to have spread to the judges.

According to reports the Strictly Come Dancing lead judge Shirley Ballas, 64, has now split from her long-time partner Danny Taylor - just three years after announcing their engagement. According to The Sun, it was Shirley that made the decision to end her relationship, which she has been public about over recent years.

The couple got engaged in 2021 and the shocking news has come to light six months after the BBC star revealed the pair had ended their engagement, - but were still in a relationship. A source told The Sun: "As with any break-up, it is, of course, a very sad situation. She gave her all to that relationship and in the end came to the realisation that it wasn't going anywhere. She made a lot of effort to see Danny and support his theatre and panto work, travelling up and down the country."

They added: "Distance also played its part - Shirley lives in London with her mother and Danny remains based in Liverpool; that commute is a killer. But Shirley is a strong, resilient character and is looking better than ever. She will 100% bounce back - 2025 promises to be an absolute corker for her."

The couple, who appear to be able to remain friends and still follow each other on social media, first met in 2018. At that time the pair were starring in pantomime in Jack and the Beanstalk. Their love developed as Danny was also a trained ballroom dancer but also tried his hand at acting, starring in soaps including Brookside and The Bill.

Speaking about their romance, Shirley, who replaced the late Len Goodman on the BBC dance show, previously said: "We met on panto as friends. It didn’t really take off until March… for him. I fell in love way before... I think for me it was [at] first sight. He was going through a difficult time in his relationship. We did become friends and then probably in about February I said, 'I love you Danny' and he said, 'I know'. It took a while."

In June, Shirley's son who followed in his mum's footsteps and appeared on Dancing With The Stars, furiously denied allegations that the pair had split. At the time, Shirley then spoke out addressing the claims and said she had "changed her mind" about marrying Danny after going through a divorce twice before. She added: "Danny and I are still together contrary to anything you might read. Who knows [if we'll get married]."

The Mirror has contacted the BBC star for a comment.

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