Speaking to host Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Ballas said: “I was going through immense bullying in the industry from men at the top. Shirley Ballas is the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing (Jordan Pettitt/PA)“I’ll just go as far as that, and they were stopping my work. “And that’s how I felt and that’s my perspective on it.”Asked if she thinks the industry was misogynistic, she said: “100% for sure and I don’t think it’s much better today. Also in October, the dance champion and judge released book Murder On The Dance Floor, co-authored by Sheila McClure, which follows the fictional story of dance superstar and one-time world champion Lily Richmond. Ballas told the PA news agency that the book offers a behind the scenes glimpse into the dance industry, adding that it is a lot more “sinister” than people realise.

Source: The Times December 10, 2023 11:20 UTC