Hold me closer, tiny dance shoes

SHIRLEY BALLAS astonished viewers of Strictly Come Dancing a couple of weeks ago when she whipped out a miniature pair of shoes to demonstrate proper footwork to contestant Will Mellor.

Later in that show she produced a tiny pair of women’s shoes to demonstrate a point to Fleur East.

Viewers were divided. One wrote: ‘Has Shirley been killing elves under her desk and stealing their shoes? I’m so confused.’

I ran into Shirley this week and can offer reassurance that no elves were harmed in the making of the show. She told me: ‘No they are not children’s shoes — they were custom made just for me. I had the idea that it would be a good way to explain things.’ She said she had been keeping them under her desk since the show began, and only pulled them out when she felt they were needed.

So will we see them again? ‘Oh, you might!’ she says, ‘I have them with me every week.’