You’ve been tangoed!
Strictly’s Shirley is so tough says dance ace
STRICTLY Come Dancing celebs had better say cha-cha to any hopes of an easy ride once Britain’s fiery “Queen of Latin” becomes head judge.
For Shirley Ballas, who is taking over from Len Goodman, is likely to Ballroom Blitz any slackers, says the talented dancer she brought up.
Derek Hough, star of Strictly’s US version, soon learned that “if you cross Shirley, you paid a price”. After he sneaked a cigarette into her home, he recalled how “she raised her hand and slapped it hard across my cheek. I swear I almost swallowed my teeth. That was the day I learned never to lie to Shirley”.
He and his sister Julianne were looked after by coach Shirley and her former husband Corky at the couple’s home in Dulwich, South East London.
And Derek, 31, who briefly dated singer Cheryl, has remained close to mother figure Shirley, 56, despite her tough-love regime.
In his book, Taking the Lead: Lessons from a Life in Motion, Derek reveals she has no sympathy for illness, which has seen many stars given byes to the next round. She told him: “If you can’t go to school, you can’t go to rehearsals. And if you can’t go to rehearsals, you can’t do the competitions.”
After the BBC announced her appointment, he wrote on Instagram: “I’ve never seen anyone less entitled, consistently hard working and genuinely brilliant at what they do than Shirley Ballas.”