WIRRAL'S Shirley Ballas is known for being a champion ballroom dancer, world-renowned dance teacher, Strictly Come Dancing head judge and now a debut novelist.
Yesterday (Monday, October 30) Shirley was back on home turf to speak about her new book Murder on the Dancefloor at a Linghams event which took place at The Neston Club.
Shirley’s new book, which was co-written with Sheila McClure, tells the story of dance coach, Lily Richmond, who is left to solve a murder with the help of one of her own students after a mysterious death in the middle of a competition.
The crime novel, which was released on October 12 with publisher Harper Collins, is the first part of the sensational The Sequin Mysteries series.
The Strictly head judge told the Globe that she is "rather excited" about the release of her first novel.
"I've always been a bit of an avid writer", she said.
"I've just received all of my Christmas cards and it'll take me six weeks to handwrite them all.
"I just love writing and English was the only subject I was ever any good in at school, so to be given the chance to write a cosy crime novel is a bit of a dream come true really."
The idea for Murder on the Dancefloor came about when Ballas wrote her autobiography, which was released in 2020.
"There were far too many stories to fit in and far too many stories that I could even write", she explained.
"My mum told me I've still got so many stories to tell, 55 years of being in my industry, the world of ballroom, so she said 'Why don't you write a cosy crime novel and write it around characters that you know?'."
Shirley told the Globe that Lily, the dance teacher, is a character based on herself, and the things she has experienced in the industry.
"The audience can guess throughout the book 'Did Shirley witness this, did she take part in it, or is it fiction?', so that's the idea.
"But of course, the majority of these stories are from my past, what I've witnessed and what I've learned, put in fiction form.
"This industry is built upon baubles, bangles, and beads, but there's a much more sinister side to ballroom dancing, and I guess that's the side I wanted to show.
"I was bullied for a long, long time by men at the top so some of these things again I'm able to shed a bit of light on."
Growing up on the Wirral
The 63-year-old was born in Wallasey, and grew up on the Leasowe Housing Estate, before moving to Yorkshire when she was 14.
On her return to her birthplace, the dancer spoke about some of her fondest memories and favourite spots to go.
"I went to the Floral Pavilion yesterday to see By The Waters Of Liverpool which was lovely", Shirley said.
"Every time I come back to the Wirral I think of winning my first premium bond, I think about going to St Chad's Church to dance, I think about doing my ballet and tap in Moreton, so many memories come back.
"This time I went past my primary school and junior school, and it just brought back a flood of emotions. Some happy, some not so happy.
"I could remember where one of the boys lived where I used to give him my milk at school and my first boyfriend's house, Danny McGarry, so we drove past his house as well."
"I love going to New Brighton and getting fish and chips on the promenade, and I love going to Seacombe because that's where my dad was from.
"We shopped in Liscard at least once a week and Hoylake was where my niece went to school. All around the region from West Kirby, to Hoylake, to Moreton, to Wallasey, going up to New Brighton was my treading path."
Time on Strictly Come Dancing
Shirley joined Strictly in 2017, replacing Len Goodman as the head judge after 14 series.
Speaking about this year's cast, the head judge
"Every year I feel like the BBC manage to get a great cast but this year they got a great mix", she said.
"Everybody has bought some sort of skill to the show, it's already been difficult sending anybody home but next week it's just about to get super tough.
"I've made a prediction that Craig Revel Horwood is going to be putting his naughty hat on again from next week."
"I love the journey", she said.
"You get to know their whole life, their history, we follow them, we fall in love with them and they have ups and downs.
"We really need the viewers to vote because no matter who I send home it's still going to upset somebody because everybody has a favourite."
More recently, Shirley has been fundraising for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) after losing her brother David to suicide in 2003.
Throughout August she completed the fastest zipline in the world, took to the skies in a wing walk, and jumped out of a plane at 13,000ft.
"Anyone who is suffering we are there for them", Shirley said.
"I am asking the general public to get in touch and put forward three more challenges for me to do because I think it could be quite interesting to see what they come up with.
"I knew I had to do things that would make people think I was crazy. I lost my brother and good friend to suicide, it's more prevalent then you think.
"More younger people are taking their own life and my brother's anniversary is in December so I thought doing something in the second half of the year to give back would be good."
You can donate to Shirley's fundraising page here.
You can purchase Shirley's book here.
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