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Strictly head judge Shirley Ballas gets emotional after ‘staying up all night’ to watch her professional dancer son Mark win the US version of the show
Shirley Ballas got emotional when her professional dancer son Mark was crowned champion of Dancing With The Stars this week.
The 62-year-old head judge of Strictly Come Dancing couldn’t contain her excitement when she revealed she “stayed up all night” to watch her son lift the trophy.
Mark, 36, was the 31st winner of the competition alongside his celebrity dance partner, TikTok sensation Charli D’Amelio.
Champions: Shirley Ballas got emotional when her professional dancer son Mark was crowned champion of Dancing With The Stars this week
Shirley gushed, “I’d like to say a huge thank you to Harry who kept me informed on everything, and Corky [her ex-husband, Mark’s father] the whole night.
“Nanny and I have been here, who have just got up, to drink some brandy, because our nerves are gone.”
The proud mum added: ‘Huge congratulations to Mark for a great season, to Charli for really working hard, and to all the lovely fans, Courtney and Mark and Charli fans, thank you for keeping me posted.
“You are all superstars. Appreciate it very much. Thank you… oh my god!”
Congratulations! Mark, 36, was the 31st winner of the competition alongside his celebrity dance partner, TikTok sensation Charli D’Amelio
Talented family: The Strictly Come Dancing head judge, 62, revealed she ‘stayed up all night’ to watch her son lift the dazzling Dancing With The Stars trophy
Mark and Charli got perfect scores for both her Jive redemption dance and Freestyle dance routine during a two-hour live finale on Disney+.
Mark has now won the American equivalent of the Glitterball Trophy three times, but he has yet to decide if he will dance in the next series of the hit show.
He said, ‘I don’t know [if I’m coming back]. You know, the older I get, I try to stay very present in the moment, you know, and I think that was a big part of creating these dances.
“Every week I posted, I tried to put every aspect of creativity, care, musicianship, nuance into each one. I think you can only do that by staying totally in the moment of every time.
Incredible: The couple earned perfect scores for both her Jive redemption dance and Freestyle dance routine during a two-hour live finale on Disney+
“So, right now I’m with Charli right now and…my body couldn’t even fathom the thought of doing this [in] six months, so I’ll let you know later.”
Shirley was reunited with her son earlier this year after being torn apart for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic while working in the US.
The strict judge shares Mark with ex-husband Corky Ballas whom she married after her divorce from first husband Sammy Stopford.
She and Corky split in 2007 and she has been dating Daniel Taylor for four years now – who is 13 years her junior.
The pair first went public with their relationship in March 2019 after meeting panto in November 2018.
All smiles: Shirley reunited with her son, who she shares with ex-husband Corky Ballas, earlier this year after being torn apart during the coronavirus pandemic (pictured in 2017)