“I ALMOST DIDN’T MAKE IT…”  Behind the smiles on Strictly Come Dancing, Shirley Ballas was fighting a year from hҽll — a near-dҽath moment, stalker terror, and a dҽvastating family loss. What really happened off-camera will shock even her biggest fans…

It’s fair to say it’s been a tough 12 months for Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas.

The TV star has been back on screens in recent months for the 2025 series of the glitzy BBC One show. However, 2025 hasn’t exactly been plain sailing for Shirley – who is on James Martin’s Saturday Morning at Christmas today (December 28).

From a devastating family bereavement to her near-death experience on the show, here, ED! is taking a look back at Shirley’s rollercoaster 12 months.

Shirley was subjected to a terrifying stalker ordeal (Credit: ITV)

Shirley Ballas’ stalker hell

In January, a 37-year-old man was accused of sending messages to Shirley from 2017 to 2023. He allegedly appeared at South Sefton Magistrates’ Court in Bootle, Merseyside, where he was charged with stalking. He also received a separate charge of possessing cannabis.

A few months later, Shirley opened up about the stalking ordeal, revealing she wasn’t the only one targeted. Her friends, family and colleagues also received threats over six years after Kyle believed Shirley’s late brother, David Rich, was his father. In 2004, David died by suicide, which Kyle blamed her for.

In an interview with The Times, Shirley opened up about the horrific stalking ordeal. “It was message after message. ‘He died because of you.’ It made you feel like you committed murder,” she said.

Shirley’s mother, Audrey, 88, was massively affected. In 2021, she moved into Shirley’s London home as a safety precaution.
Shirley was concerned that her mother would be “followed around the supermarket”. She added: “It makes you more vigilant. We’ve got extra security everywhere we go now.”

Shirley’s mum’s health condition

Shirley has been open over the years about watching her mother Audrey live with the lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). She told BBC Radio Manchester in November: “My mum’s a smoker and over these past three years, I’ve got to witness her being out of breath.

“I’ve got to witness her being really poorly. I’ve been opposite her when she couldn’t get a breath and was choking because the airways closed.”

The TV star also said that because of her mum’s condition, her mother becomes “nervous that if we go shopping – if she starts coughing – people are going stare at her”.

Shirley said: “So we only go out once a week now, it’ll be for two or three hours. She doesn’t care to go outside, she just prefers to be home which is kind of sad.”

And because of Shirley’s mum’s COPD battle, she is unable to spend Christmas with her son Mark, and grandson Banksi at Christmas – who live in the States.

“I see them [Mark and Banksi] five or six times a year at the moment, because obviously, with my mum being in remission of cancer, and now with the COPD, she can’t travel anymore, and I like to be at home with her,” she told the Mirror.

She choked on a fish bone before a live Strictly show (Credit: BBC)

Shirley Ballas ‘nearly died’ on Strictly

In November, Shirley found herself in a near-death experience after not being able to breathe for 20 minutes before the live Strictly Blackpool show.

Taking to her Instagram story, in a video for her 413k followers to see, Shirley explained that she’d choked on a fish bone, and makeup artist Jane Burstow had to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre to dislodge it.

Shirley said: “It got lodged in my throat, and my wonderful Jane, who has been with me for nine years, did the Heimlich manoeuvre, and we got the bone out. But for 20 minutes there, it was lodged, and I couldn’t breathe, so it was terrifying.”

She added: “We’d have been a judge down tonight if it wasn’t for her. Gratitude to Jane because I panicked. I really thought that was it, the end, amen.”

Shirley Ballas’ family death

Just days before the Strictly final in December, Shirley was hit with a devastating bereavement. On her Instagram, Shirley revealed that her aunt has sadly died.

The star shared a string of snaps for her 420k followers to see. The pictures consisted of pictures of Shirley and her aunt, Mavis, as well as ones of Mavis on her own whilst out and about, and with her sister, Shirley’s mum, Audrey.

“My dearest Auntie Mavis … where do I begin [love heart emoji]. How I’ll miss you so very much. I’ll miss all your sayings of ‘you’re right, love’, ‘do you know what I mean like love’, ‘yeah I know’ and I’d say ‘no you don’t know Mavis’. That one was my favourite,” Shirley captioned the post.

“Mavis was always there for me and my family, she had been like a second mum to me. Mum and I are sad you’re not here with us anymore, Mavis. We will treasure the memories. Mum has many that’s for sure. Her best friend of over 65 years,” she then continued.

Watch Shirley on James Martin’s Saturday Morning at Christmas on Sunday (December 28) at 7:25am.

Read more: Shirley Ballas issues update on Strictly’s future following Tess and Claudia’s shock exit