With the release of her gripping new book Best Foot Forward, Shirley Ballas opens up to the Mirror about the end of her relationship with Danny Taylor for the first time.
Shirley Ballas revealed details about her lavish spending on him and the end of her relationship with his fiance, Danny Taylor.
In an exclusive interview with the Mirror’s Tom Bryant as she releases her new memoir Best Foot Forward, she says how they “weren’t growing together anymore .”
And she heartbreakingly admits in the book that she “thought I should show him I loved him” by doing so.
So he received the “best of the best” items like custom-made clothing, Gucci shoes, Mont Blanc cufflinks, gorgeous holidays, and a Mini Coupé. Since he wasn’t making a living, she even hired him as her temporary resident during Covid.
We weren’t progressing together anymore, and she says, “I’m already worried about things that are going on in his life,” and she’s growing even more concerned. I simply needed some tranquility.
Shirley also admits she’s not keen to rush into another relationship, if at all. She has been married twice before. She tied the knot with her dance partner Sammy Stopford in 1980 but divorced after four years. Then there was a fiery marriage to another dancer Corky Ballas with whom she has a son, Mark.
Due to allegations of infidelity, it ended in 2007. She briefly engaged to her first dance partner, Nigel Tiffany, at the age of 16, and they are still close friends today.
She says, “I don’t think I’ll ever have another relationship, but it would have to be with someone who was much calmer and saw our growth go forward.” That doesn’t mean that I didn’t adore Danny during those six years we spent together. I simply didn’t really have a choice.
She admits in the book that she feels “incomplete and a little lost” despite having grown used to being on her own once more. Even though she jokes that she is considering joining dating app Raya, these experiences have only strengthened her conviction that nothing is everlasting.
“I believe my toyboy days are over.” If they are fit, I would say anything from 55 to 70, she goes on.
She and Danny, both 13, met while performing panto together in 2018, and Danny is 13 years younger. In Jack and the Beanstalk in Liverpool, the TV star was playing Mother Nature and Danny was the evil Fleshcreep. The pair had been dating for four and a half years. She acknowledges that after getting engaged in 2021, she quickly fell head over heels for him. Even the wedding rings were purchased by her.
Shirley also opens up about the exact moment when her world came crashing down. Cuddling up in bed with her 87-year-old mum Audrey at 9pm on the day of her 64th birthday, her phone suddenly lit up.
It was a relative of her fiance Danny Taylor telling her that he’d gone missing, his phone was off and his family were very worried about him. Suddenly she was engulfed by the harrowing thoughts of her brother David who had tragically taken his own life, in 2003, aged 44.
She claims in the interview that “all those memories came flooding back… it triggered all these emotions.” She spent the next few hours frantically looking for Danny, calling all of his friends and family, before giving her number to the police, who were also concerned about the circumstances.
She noticed that Danny had read her Whatsapps at 2 a.m. However, Danny returned the following day and continued as if nothing had happened, causing him to grow angry. She realized almost immediately that she couldn’t have someone who could end her suffering once more.
“From the moment I die, I will never forget that day.” She says, “I can tell you that my mother was just so upset and replaying all of her trauma when I looked across in the middle of the night.” I initially believed that this couldn’t continue. Not just for my sake, but also for my mother.
Shirley Ballas’ best book, BEST FOOT FORWARD, was released by BBC Books on September 11th at a price of £22 (copyright).
Source: Mirror
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