Strictly judge Shirley Ballas breaks silence after BBC announces bullying probe findings

Head justice Shirley Ballas said she doesn't condone bullying but added that aft the BBC announced the findings of its caller Strictly Come Dancing probe, everyone tin determination on

Shirley Ballas has welcomed the findings of Strictly’s bullying probe – and says that present the amusement indispensable spell on.

Speaking for the archetypal clip astir the bombshell report, Shirley, 64, says it is captious celebs’ concerns are listened to. The BBC probe was sparked by claims from histrion Amanda Abbington that creation spouse Giovanni Pernice had been “abusive and cruel”.

It upheld six of her 16 claims, chiefly relating to the erstwhile pro’s swearing. Head justice Shirley – who has known Giovanni for a decennary – was asked astir the findings during a publication speech connected Tuesday night. In an evident amusement of sympathy for Amanda, she says: “I don’t condone bullying – I’ve been done it myself.

“So if things aren’t close oregon request addressing, I consciousness for the idiosyncratic that wants them addressed. And I deliberation that’s a big, important portion – that everybody gets to accidental their thing. But present the probe is implicit and everybody tin determination on.”

Shirley says immoderate other safeguarding for celebrities joining the amusement could lone beryllium a bully thing, arsenic she heaped praise connected the amusement for caring for her. “The 8 years I’ve been connected the show, it’s been large safeguarding,” she says. “I’ve ever felt taken attraction of erstwhile the bullying got truly bad.

“I was getting hand-delivered letters and 1 idiosyncratic was drafting a coffin saying ‘Die, you b****’. Strictly were 100% supportive, truthful my acquisition connected the amusement has been fantastic. I’m not from a TV world but I tin lone accidental that I’ve received overmuch amended attraction from Strictly than I ever received successful my ain industry.”

The BBC has apologised to Amanda, 50. Complaints of bullying and harassment were upheld by the report, but claims of carnal aggression and threatening behaviour were not. Amanda called it a “vindication of [my] complaint”, portion Giovanni, 34, said helium was “happy” the much superior allegations had been thrown out.

Despite the play of the summer, Strictly kicked disconnected its 20th bid past period with immense fanfare. So Shirley is backmost successful the blistery spot connected Saturdays alongside Craig Revel Horwood, 59, Motsi Mabuse, 43, and Anton Du Beke, 58, judging the caller celebs.

And she has already spotted a imaginable romance hotting up. Asked if the Strictly curse could onslaught this year, Shirley teased: “I deliberation you’ll conjecture who’s got the chemistry going on. And that’s what makes their show benignant of special. We won’t notation immoderate names, but there’s ever immoderate chemistry going on, you know. It makes the satellite spell around.”

She whitethorn not beryllium not naming names but her racy comments astir world prima Pete Wicks, 35, and Jowita Przystał, 30, the erstwhile week could beryllium a spot of a giveaway. The brace person lit up the dancefloor with their sizzling chemistry. Last week Shirley described their transportation arsenic “too blistery to handle”.

At the play we saw the amusement suffer its archetypal couple, Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, 24, and Nadiya Bychkova, 35. And not lone does Shirley look flack from fans for sending their favourites location – her mum, Audrey, 87, besides ticks her disconnected if she doesn’t similar her decisions.

“You person nary idea,” laughed Shirley arsenic she promoted her book, Dance to the Death, astatine Henley Literature Festival. “You nonstop the idiosyncratic location and she doesn’t deliberation they should go. She said, ‘Well that formal doesn’t suit her’ and ‘What person you done to her hair?’

“So she’s precise honorable with what she likes and she doesn’t. I wouldn’t person it immoderate different mode with her.” As a erstwhile satellite champion dancer, Shirley has surely earned her spot arsenic caput justice aft competing astatine the highest level for decades.

But she’s present been warned by medics to instrumentality things a small easier. “I person a degenerative spine disorder,” she says, revealing the heartbreaking diagnosis for the archetypal time. He [the doctor] said if I don’t dilatory down, determination mightiness beryllium 1 time I won’t beryllium capable to teach. That deed maine truthful hard. I’m perpetually successful pain. But I privation to debar country due to the fact that adjacent if I person the unfastened backmost surgery, I’ll inactive beryllium successful pain.”

Shirley says it means its much important than ever to look aft herself. “I’m perpetually conscionable trying to find antithetic ways that I tin springiness myself the implicit champion chance,” she says. “And being much cautious erstwhile I’m dancing. And that’s wherefore I similar to conscionable creation with Anton if I’m dancing – due to the fact that I cognize he’s going to beryllium precise gentle and not extremity maine up each implicit the place!”