Shirley Ballas can't wait for 'Strictly Come Dancing' to return to normal.
Shirley Ballas
The show's 2020 run was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the annual Blackpool show was axed but Shirley says 2021 is on track to be better than ever.
She told The Sun newspaper: "There are tweaks and turns in this show, you are going to love it. Just when you think this show can’t get any better, it will. I’ve heard about some of the cast and they are fantastic. They’re going to be great.
“It’s going to be outstanding. We’ve got 13 weeks and we’re hoping to go to Blackpool.
“Everybody is on board, the choreography has already started for the group numbers — it’s all in motion."
And Shirley, 60, desperately hopes that a live audience will return.
She said: "Let’s just hope we have a live ¬audience — that would be absolutely thrilling. But I think even if we only had a partial audience for those few winter months, the public will really embrace it.”
Shirley is dating toyboy Danny Taylor and hopes to be an inspiration to more mature women.
She said: “I would say this to all the ¬beautiful ladies out there over 55 — there’s somebody out there for everybody.
“They might be 10 years older than you, they might be a little ¬younger than you — just don’t put yourself on a shelf.
“Don’t say it’s all over when you get to this age because you still have a lot of living to do and a lot of loving to give.
“Age really doesn’t matter in life. Just look at me — while I’m still kicking I’ll be in that Strictly judge’s chair.”