Shirley Ballas is overwhelmed by support from fans after sharing poignant tribute to her late brother David 20 years after he died

Shirley Ballas was flooded with support from fans after she shared a very moving tribute to her late brother David on Tuesday.

The ballroom legend, 63, remembered her sibling 20 years after he passed away – he died by suicide in 2003 at the age of 44.

The Strictly judge took to Instagram during the day and shared a gallery of photos of herself with David.

She accompanied the photos with an emotional caption, writing: “Twenty years ago today, my dearest brother David took his own life. I lost my brother, my protector and my best friend. I will forever remember the dreaded knock on the front door. I can still imagine the police officers standing there and I just knew something was wrong.”

“Mrs. Rich,” they said. I stepped aside and my mother stepped forward. From that moment on our world collapsed. How time flies, dear David. Where have the years gone… you are truly missed every day.'

The former dancer continued her heartfelt caption, “I will never really know why you went but my mom and I talk about you often and you are never forgotten. Mary, your beautiful daughter, makes you so proud. She is strong, beautiful and she brings us so much joy.”

“My work for @calmzone and @suicideandco will continue with you at the forefront of my thoughts. My Skyathlon was for you David. I ziplined, wing walked, and skydived for you, David.”

She continued, “I will continue to support others who find themselves in dark times because I have learned over the years that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Continue to rest in peace David. Mom and I miss you very much.'

In closing, Shirley added some useful contacts: 'For anyone who is going through a hard time, please feel free to contact @calmzone on 0800 58 58 58. And for family and friends who need support after the loss of a loved one, please get in touch with @suicideandco's advisory service on 0800 054 8400.'

Fans and friends rushed to comment under Shirley's heartbreaking post, offering her support.

Australian pro dancer Dianne Buswell said: 'Sending love .'

Celebrity friends Ashley Roberts and James Jordan shared plenty of red hearts and praying emoji, as did Kai Widdrington.

More of her fellow Strictly co-stars showed their emotional support as Claudia Winkleman added a slew of hearts emoji, and pro dancer Graziano Di Prima shared the same alongside some crying emoji.

The report from the organization Suicide&Co wrote: 'Sending so much love to you and your loved ones today and always, Shirley. Please know that we are here for you and anyone affected by suicide loss. We are so proud to work with you to spread the message that everyone has permission to grieve.”

Anti-suicide campaign CalmZone also wrote under Shirley's post: 'Thinking of you and your family today, Shirley.

'Thank you for everything you continue to do for CALM. You have made a life-saving difference in David's memory.”

One fan opened up about the star's loss, saying: 'I lost my best friend just over a decade ago, and it still feels like yesterday. I'm so sorry Shirley, sending you so much love grief is not linear at all.'

Shirley recently revealed the method she has put in place to deal with an 'overwhelming' amount of trolls.

The ballroom sensation was considering not returning for the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 series after receiving an inordinate amount of hate from vile trolls online.

Shirley joined the jury in 2017 as head judge, replacing the late Len Goodman.

But while she called her role the “icing on the cake” of her career, the abuse that came with it was extremely difficult to deal with.

She told me Sunday Times: 'This is my seventh series as main jury.

“I think I'm getting stronger as the years go by, but last year the trolling got to me: it was bad. I guess I was just overwhelmed.

'This year I hired a young man called Harry who manages all my social media, which is turning out to be just fantastic.'

Hiring someone else to manage her social media accounts means Shirley hasn't scrolled through the negative comments.

Shirley, from Merseyside, competed professionally in ballroom dancing from the age of 15 to 36, before becoming a dance coach and judge.

Social media messages directed at her – many of which were threatening or sexual in nature – left her afraid to leave her own home and worried that people “lurk in dark corners or hide behind hiding walls'.

Appearing on Olivia Attwood vs The Trolls in October, she said: 'I've had people draw coffins with me in them with someone with a shovel saying 'Die you b**ch'.

'It's when it's personal about myself and my family and it affects my mental health. I'm not just talking about your phone.'

Although she eventually returned for the 2023 series, Shirley has hinted that she considered not returning after the barrage of vile online abuse she received during the last series.

In a candid interview, she revealed that the previous series may have been her last as she hit a 'record low' after the abuse 'spun out of control'.

The ballroom dancer told how she was constantly left in tears and struggling in silence after every show, saying it was “the most negativity” she had ever had to deal with.

She told me Mirror: 'Last year I had a hard time. It wasn't just a little, it was a lot; most of it took place in silence. I felt that the abuse was getting out of hand and was having a negative impact on me. I'm a pretty stoic person and tend to keep everything inside.'

She explained that when the abuse started it “seemed bigger than anything else”, with the star telling how it left her “crying and emotional” as she felt “ashamed” of how she felt and did not confide in anyone.

Shirley added: “And that was a low point since I joined the show – it was the most negativity I'd ever experienced. The BBC were brilliant, checking me in and offering advice and support.”

When asked if she had considered quitting Strictly, she replied: 'It was a difficult series, I'll leave it at that… Should I go back to Strictly? I always take it step by step.'

She went on to say that she “absolutely loved her job” and if it were solely up to her judgment without trolling involved, it would be the most “rewarding” job she could think of doing.

The Queen of Latin went on to say that after finishing Strictly in 2022, she was taking a 'break' from TV to 'refocus' on her own industry and to 'protect her mental health'.

She revealed the shocking extent of the messages she received – with one in five of them hateful – and said the thousands of responses she received when she sent someone home were 'truly awful'.

She added that she was accused of not liking young people or old people, men or women, noting that it “didn't matter” what she would do, she could “never win.”

However, she proudly said that she stood by her decisions and never “regretted” sending anyone home based on how they performed at the dance, noting that she could “sleep at night” with her choices .