Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas fears she will “never feel completely safe again”

Shirley Ballas - the legendary Strictly Come Dancing head judge - has spoken out about her stalker ordeal which has left her fearing she will “never feel completely safe again”.

The 64-year-old was forced to move her mother to a new home and increase security after being targeted by a Kyle Shaw, who accused her of killing a member of her family. Shaw, 37, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court in February to stalking Ballas, causing serious harm or distress between August 31, 2017 and November 29, 2023.

Now, the outspoken Strictly judge has discussed the traumatic experience in an interview with the Sunday Mirror, saying: “I will never feel completely safe again. I’m looking around and watching all the time … and life shouldn’t have to be like that. That’s what he’s done to me and my family.”

Ballas talked about the experience in her new memoir, Best Foot Forward, including how Shaw followed and confronted her elderly mother, Audrey, in a supermarket. She said she worried he would “put a bomb through the letterbox” or “set the house on fire”.

Shaw’s campaign of harassment began when he started sending her messages on social media claiming to be the biological son of her late brother, David, who died of suicide in 2003.

“The messages he wrote to this little old lady who has never gotten over the death of her son, it was very hard," said Wallasey-born dancer Ballas. “As for me, I don’t think I’ve ever travelled by train since, I’m always looking over my shoulder. If I go to the park, I never go after six o’clock. If I’m walking somewhere, I never have ear plugs in.”

She spoke of a message which said, ‘Just a reminder, my dad is dead because of you, because you left him alone. He’s dead. You killed him. You murdered him. You did this. Why did you leave my dad to die?’.

As a result of the continuing campaign, Ballas installed CCTV and an extra alarm system at her house, and says the BBC gave her additional security while working on Strictly projects.

Shaw sent her a picture of her house and car on social media, and threatened to turn up at dates on the promotional tour for her debut novel, as well as getting her former partner Danny Taylor’s phone number, she added. On December 5, 2023, Shaw was arrested and his mobile phone seized. His home was searched, and a tablet was seized along with a quantity of cannabis.

Later, he was charged with stalking involving serious harm and distress and possession of a controlled Class B drug, and pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court in February this year, before being sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment, suspended for 20 months.

After the sentencing, Senior Crown Prosecutor Natassia McAdam, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “Kyle Shaw’s attempts to contact Ms Ballas were clearly stalking. They were persistent and became abusive and caused anxiety and distress over a prolonged period of time.

“His behaviour became increasingly erratic, and she feared he would become violent. He knew what he was doing would cause her alarm and distress. We would like to thank Shirley Ballas and her friends and family for their help bringing Kyle Shaw to justice. This has been a very difficult time for them and they have behaved with dignity and composure throughout.”