Why Strictly's Shirley Ballas, 62, called off engagement plans with Danny Taylor, 50 ·
Sarah Smith Shirley Ballas, 62, has been open about her strong relationship with her partner Danny Taylor, 50, since they started dating in 2019, and even admitted she was waiting to get engaged.
Despite Shirley sporting a huge diamond ring on her left hand, the Strictly Come Dancing judge has confirmed she has changed her mind about marriage.
Insisting it has nothing to do with their relationship, Shirley explained that her decision not to walk down the aisle again has been partially due to her family.
"I've changed my mind. I just feel that at this particular point in my life, my mother and I have got this great relationship and we want to do some travelling and there is different things we want to do," the 62-year-old told MailOnline at the Copacabana London Cabaret Show.
"[The relationship is] going good – I’m busy, he’s busy and we talk to each other every day – several times a day, and my mum talks to him as well," she added, referring to their long-distance romance.
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Shirley's confession comes months after she had a "truthful conversation" with Danny on Valentine's Day addressing the future of their relationship. "I have decided that – with Danny’s blessing – I’m not in a position at the moment where I want to get married," she told The Mirror.
The former dancer continued: "We are still very much in love, care for each other deeply, and we have a good enough relationship where we don’t need to get engaged or married. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!"
The couple first met while rehearsing for the Christmas pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the Liverpool Empire in 2019. They went public with their relationship just one month later, and Shirley even joked that she was waiting for "nervous" Danny to propose after he bought her an engagement ring.
Speaking to Prima, Shirley gushed: "He's very kind and very caring — he's always there for me. I hope he'll propose one day but he's never married and I think he's a bit nervous about it, so we'll see. Come on, Danny!"
If she does decide to change her mind about marriage in the future, Shirley has already confessed she has an idea about what her first dance might be. "With Danny, I think he would like to whizz me round in the quickstep," Shirley explained during a talk at Good Housekeeping Live. And she hasn't ruled out calling in some help from her Strictly contacts!
"It would be his choice but I’d have a little bit of help probably from Jason Gilkison from Strictly to choreograph something with maybe a few lifts to make it all exciting."
Shirley has been married twice in the past – first to Sammy Stopford from 1980 to 1984, and then to Corky Ballas from 1985 to 2007. During her second marriage, she welcomed her son Mark, 37, who has taken after his mother and now stars in Dancing with the Stars.
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