Shirley Ballas says Craig Revel Horwood's comments about her breasts were "very, very painful".
Shirley Ballas
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' judge - who has since made up with her co-star - has opened up on how she felt when he commented on her body during a book tour in 2018.
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Shirley reflects on the controversial moment in her new autobiography 'Behind The Sequins', writing: "It was awful and very, very painful.
"It brought up a lot of things from my past that I thought I'd dealt with...
"Once again, I was propelled back to my toughest days with [ex-husband] Corky, when he would make comments about my appearance: My crooked teeth, my nose, my a*** that was too big.
"All those insults just came flying back as I read what Craig had said, apparently in jest."
Shirley - who said Craig apologised profusely - told him "exactly" how she felt after the incident as they cleared the air.
In the book, she says she told him: "I'm your colleague. I should feel safe around you. You should feel like a protector to me and I should to you.
"If I have to worry every time you go out that you're going to talk about me, that doesn't make me feel good about being on this show."
Craig had gone on a rant about Shirley during his book tour two years ago, where he claimed that her "fake boobs" were "hanging out" during her 'Strictly' audition.
She responded at the time: "I don't think it's appropriate for anyone to make comments about anyone else - be it about their body or anything they do - when working as a team.
"I'm a team player and I have the backs of my fellow people. Yes, I got an apology - a sincere apology.
"I don't need anybody to make me feel bad about myself. I can do that to myself. To each his own. I don't think you need to sell anything off the back of making anybody else look small. I don't think joking about somebody else's body is funny."
Tagged in Craig Revel Horwood