In a raw, tear-streaked moment that has sent shockwaves through the world of ballroom and beyond, Strictly Come Dancing’s formidable head judge Shirley Ballas has made the most heartbreaking confession of her glittering career.

Speaking at a candid talk about her books, the 65-year-old Queen of Latin admitted: ‘I want to be a much better grandmother than I was a mother, as I was pursuing my career.’

The words, delivered with visible emotion to The Mirror this week, have not only tugged at heartstrings across Britain but have dramatically intensified swirling rumours that the nation’s favourite ballroom matriarch could be about to hang up her sequins on Strictly Come Dancing for good — and jet across the Atlantic to start a new life in America alongside her son Mark and his young family.

It is the ultimate full-circle moment for the woman who sacrificed so much in the ruthless pursuit of dance-floor glory. Now, at an age when many are slowing down, Shirley is openly yearning for the one role she fears she never quite mastered the first time around: being there.

And with reports she is in line for a high-profile judging gig on a glittering new Dancing With The Stars spin-off in the US — potentially working side-by-side with her 39-year-old son Mark — the timing could hardly be more poignant.

Friends say the admission has been a long time coming. For years Shirley has spoken in interviews about the guilt that has quietly gnawed at her through decades of world titles, television fame and non-stop touring. But never before has she laid it bare quite like this.

‘I wish I could go back now,’ she told The Mirror, her voice cracking with regret. ‘I was only 25 when Mark arrived. It was a lovely surprise and we were trying to make it in the industry. I do regret it — I wish back then I spent more time.’

The confession comes just days after fresh speculation erupted that the BBC’s longest-serving head judge since Len Goodman might not return for the next series of Strictly. Insiders at the corporation are said to be ‘braced’ for an announcement, while fans on social media have been in meltdown, with one writing: ‘If Shirley leaves for America we’ve lost our queen.’

Yet for Shirley, the pull of family — and the chance to right past wrongs — appears stronger than any spotlight.

The little boy who grew up on planes — and the teddy bear that travelled the world

Mark Ballas, now a hugely successful professional dancer in his own right on the US version of the show, was born in Houston, Texas, in 1986 to Shirley and her then-husband, fellow dancer Corky Ballas.

From the moment he arrived, the tiny boy was thrust into the whirlwind of his parents’ globetrotting career. While Shirley and Corky chased championships across continents, young Mark was largely raised by his devoted grandmother Audrey Rich back in Britain.

Shirley has never hidden how much this arrangement pained her. In the interview she revealed how she would carry Mark’s favourite teddy bear in her suitcase on every trip as a small comfort. ‘I have told him I don’t think I was there for him,’ she said softly. ‘I used to have his teddy in my suitcase. It was very difficult for me.’

Even more poignantly, she recalled how Audrey would put five-year-old Mark on a British Airways flight alone from Heathrow to Japan so he could visit his parents. ‘He could communicate with everybody,’ Shirley said with a mixture of pride and sorrow. ‘He loves people.’

Mark himself has always been gracious, telling his mother he ‘had a ball’ with his nan. But Shirley cannot shake the feeling she missed out on precious years. ‘She dedicated her life to him,’ she said of Audrey. ‘That is where he gets his soft nature from. She has said if she died tomorrow those were the best years of her life. I was worried, as a parent, I was not there 24/7.’

It is a sentiment that will resonate with millions of working mothers who have ever felt the crushing weight of guilt. But for Shirley — a woman who rose from humble beginnings in Wallasey, Merseyside, to become one of the most decorated Latin dancers in history — the trade-off was especially acute.

From council estate to Blackpool glory: the making of the Queen of Latin

Born Shirley Rich on 6 September 1960, the future star’s childhood was far from the glitz she would later inhabit. Her father walked out when she was just two, leaving her mother Audrey to raise Shirley and her brother David alone.

She discovered dance at seven and never looked back. By 15 she had moved to Shipley, West Yorkshire, to train with her first serious partner. At 18 she married British champion Sammy Stopford and the pair stormed Blackpool Dance Festival, winning the Professional Latin title in 1983.

After their marriage ended, Shirley teamed up with Corky Ballas and the magic truly ignited. Together they conquered Blackpool again in 1995 and 1996 — making Shirley the only dancer ever to win the prestigious British Open to the World Latin American Championships with two different partners. The title ‘Queen of Latin’ was hers for life.

The couple moved to Houston, had Mark, and for a while it seemed the fairytale was complete. But the marriage crumbled and they divorced in 2007. By then Shirley had already stepped away from competition in 1996 to focus on coaching and judging — and, inevitably, the sacrifices mounted.

She has spoken before about the loneliness of hotel rooms, the endless flights, the guilt of missing school plays and bedtime stories. In her 2020 autobiography Behind the Sequins she laid bare the emotional toll. Now, in 2026, that toll feels heavier than ever as she watches her own son navigate fatherhood.

Mark married singer-songwriter BC Jean (the woman behind Beyoncé’s smash hit If I Were A Boy) in 2016. In November 2023 the couple welcomed their first child, a son they named Banksi Wylde Ballas — a name as unique and showbiz as his heritage. BC Jean is currently pregnant with their second child, a ‘rainbow baby’ the couple have celebrated in song.

Shirley is besotted. She has spoken glowingly of her daughter-in-law’s parenting skills, admitting she herself ‘did not have those skills’ in the pre-Google, pre-social-media era. ‘Now you know all the sizes for everything and it is “don’t do this and don’t do that”,’ she laughed. ‘I did not have a manual.’

She dreams of dancing a full cha-cha-cha routine with Mark. ‘I would love to dance with my son now and do the cha cha cha,’ she said. ‘I would like to do a full routine with him and see if he can keep up with his mum!’

The Strictly years: triumphs, tears and tantrums

When Shirley replaced the beloved Len Goodman as head judge in 2017, few could have predicted she would become the show’s beating heart. With her razor-sharp critiques, glittering gowns and no-nonsense Merseyside delivery, she quickly won over viewers — even if some celebrities felt the heat of her famous ‘10’ paddles.

She has been there through the highs (the record-breaking series, the celebrity transformations) and the lows (the 2023 bullying rows, the endless speculation about her own position). At 65 she remains the longest-serving current judge alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.

Yet behind the sequins there has always been a woman who puts family first in her heart — even when her schedule made it impossible. She still lives close to her beloved mother Audrey, now in her nineties, and has spoken movingly about the pain of losing her brother David to suicide in 2003. Her charity work with CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is tireless.

Now, with rumours of a US move gathering pace, the question on everyone’s lips is: could this be the end of an era on Strictly?

Dancing With The Stars calling? The rumours that refuse to die

According to The Sun, Shirley is set to join a brand-new spin-off edition of Dancing With The Stars in the US, potentially alongside her son Mark. The show, hosted by Robert Irwin (son of the late Steve Irwin), is said to involve the pair helping to find new professional dancers for the franchise.

Filming dates are unclear but could clash with Strictly’s traditional September-to-December schedule — the same period former judges Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli famously juggled before eventually choosing America.

BBC bosses are said to be in crisis talks. A source close to the production told the Daily Mail: ‘Shirley has been incredible for Strictly but everyone knows how important family is to her. If the opportunity to be closer to Mark and the grandchildren is real, she may feel the time is right.’

Fans are divided. Some plead: ‘Please don’t go Shirley — Strictly won’t be the same!’ Others understand completely: ‘She deserves to be with her family. She’s given us so much.’

On Reddit and X, the debate rages. One fan posted: ‘VERY interesting, makes me wonder if she’s considering leaving Strictly for the Dancing With The Stars main show!’ Another countered: ‘She’ll do what Bruno did and leave for a week or two with a guest judge filling in.’

A Broadway dream and the Zendaya wish

Even as she contemplates a transatlantic future, Shirley’s ambitions show no sign of slowing. She revealed a Broadway show based on her life is in development — ‘We are on step four or five’ — and has the audacious dream of Zendaya playing her on stage. ‘She is a fabulous actress and I don’t know if my project will be big enough for her,’ she said with a smile.

She continues to write crime novels with a dance-floor twist (her latest, Dance to the Death, was the subject of the recent book talk) and remains a tireless campaigner for mental health.

The ultimate second chance

At its heart, Shirley’s emotional admission this week is about redemption. It is about a woman who gave everything to a sport that demands total devotion, only to realise too late that the greatest prize was waiting at home.

She wants to be the grandmother who is there for every milestone — the first steps (again), the school plays, the chaotic family Christmases. She wants to make up for the teddy bear in the suitcase and the little boy boarding planes alone.

Mark and BC Jean’s expanding family offers her that chance. With Banksi now two and a new baby on the way, the timing feels almost poetic.

Whether she stays on Strictly, takes the US job, or finds some magical middle ground remains to be seen. The BBC and her representatives have been contacted for comment and, as of today, no decision has been confirmed.

But one thing is crystal clear: after a lifetime in the spotlight, Shirley Ballas is ready to step into the most important role of her life — and this time she refuses to miss a single beat.

As she herself put it so movingly: she wants to be a much better grandmother than she was a mother.

And if anyone deserves that second chance at happiness, it is the Queen of Latin who conquered the world — but never stopped longing for home.