Shirley Ballas returns to Strictly despite “truly horrible abuse” by viewers

Shirley Ballas’ future with Be sure to come dance was decided weeks after hinting she might quit.

Ballas has been a judge on the BBC dance competition since 2017 after replacing Len Goodman as head judge.

However, Ballas suggested that she was considering retiring from the series after hitting an “all-time low” during the 2022 series.

“I struggled last year,” she said The mirror last month, adding, “It wasn’t just a little, it was a lot — most of it was silent.”

Ballas said she received “really horrible” messages from online trolls, explaining, “I felt like the abuse was getting out of hand and it was affecting me in such a negative way. I’m quite a stoic person and tend to keep everything to myself.”

When asked if online abuse would ever make Ballas quit, she said, “It’s been a tough streak, I’ll leave it at that.”

However, Ballas has opted to sign on for another series, with the BBC announcing her in the jury and presentation lineup for the upcoming series, which is due to start in September.

While discussing the negative comments she’d received, Ballas praised the BBC for checking in on her regularly.

Ballas will return as judges alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.

In the meantime, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will once again host the series.