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A BBC star looked unrecognisable as she shared a glamorous throwback photo on Monday.
The TV personality looked incredible in the sultry black and white image which she revealed was from 48 years ago.
’17th birthday at the beginning of my career,’ she captioned the snap.
Best known for her role on a much-loved BBC series which returned to screens for a brand new series over the weekend.
She is often seen sporting a series of elegant looks on the glitzy TV show and has won several awards for her work within her profession.
Can you guess who it is?
A BBC star looked unrecognisable as she shared a glamorous throwback photo on Monday – can you guess who it is?
That’s right it’s Shirley Ballas!
Strictly Come Dancing returned to screens over the weekend with Shirley taking her seat on the judging panel as a host of celebrities took to the dancefloor.
The competition’s launch show ratings were revealed on Sunday amid a string of ongoing scandals.
The pre-recorded episode saw the latest batch of 15 celebs meeting their pro partners for the first time before taking to the dance floor to perform a group routine.
Strictly has found itself embroiled in controversy of late, from bullying claims and a drug probe to this year’s competitor Thomas Skinner’s affair scandal.
But despite this, overnight figures show ratings for the 2025 launch matched 2024, peaking at 5.6 million viewers and averaging 5.4 million across the 90minute show.
While this may sound good news for the broadcaster, 2024’s launch was down a million viewers on the previous year.
This meant this year Strictly was watched by four million more people than anything else in that time slot. However the overnight figure does not include on-demand viewing from BBC iPlayer where millions are known to watch the show.
That’s right it’s Shirley Ballas!
Best known for her role on Strictly Come Dancing which returned to screens for a brand new series over the weekend
The BBC told Daily Mail this week that they will be standing by new contestant Thomas Skinner after it emerged he cheated on his wife.
In August, it was claimed two of the show’s stars are being investigated for using drugs, while another historic name has been arrested on suspicion of rape.
These are just the tip of the iceberg in what’s been months of turmoil for the series, in the wake of Wynne Evans’ controversial axe and allegations of abusive behaviour aimed at pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.
In the past, Strictly fans also quipped about show’s famous ‘curse,’ which saw some stars engage in romances with their professional partners during or after the show.
STRICTLY LINEUP 2025
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
Age: 36
Profession: Olympic Sprinter and Gladiator
Harry says: ‘I’ll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor. Let’s hope I’m as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track.’
Alex Kingston
Age: 62
Profession: Doctor Who actress
The actress teases: ‘My hips don’t lie.’
Balvinder Sopal
Age: 46
Profession: EastEnders actress
Balvinder says: ‘I’m far too excited to put into words how I feel but I’m incredibly excited at the prospect of dancing across the ballroom.’
La Voix
Age: 45
Profession: Drag performer
She says: ‘Strictly is a national institution and I can’t wait to get started. All that’s left to say is: good luck to my partner! Here’s hoping they can help me go from La Voix into La Danse.’
Thomas Skinner
Age: 34
Profession: Reality star and entrepreneur
He says: ‘Bring on the sequins, sambas and most importantly, the BOSH to the ballroom!’
Vicky Pattison
Age: 37
Profession: Reality TV star
She says: ‘I’m absolutely buzzing to be part of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up… but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified.’
Karen Carney
Age: 38
Profession: Football pundit
She says: ‘I’m such a huge fan of the show and I can’t believe I’m finally getting the chance to take part.’
George Clark
Age: 25
Profession: YouTuber
He says: ‘Never thought I’d say this… but I’m doing Strictly! Honestly, I’ve got no idea what I’m doing but I’m excited to get stuck in … and potentially fall over a fair bit.’
Dani Dyer
Age: 29
Profession: Reality star, 2018 Love Island winner
Dani says: ‘Getting the opportunity to be on Strictly is the second most amazing thing I’ve done this year! feel very very blessed and cannot wait to get my dancing shoes on.’
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Age: 53
Profession: Former Chelsea and Netherlands striker and ex-England coach.
He says: ‘Swapping the pitch for the ballroom is certainly not something I’ve done before but I’m looking forward to tackling a fun challenge! Bring on a new type of footwork, with hopefully no own goals.’
Ellie Goldstein
Age: 23
Profession: Model, influencer and disability ambassador
She says: ‘It’s a show I’ve loved watching for so long, and the chance to now be part of it feels like a dream’.
Chris Robshaw
Age: 39
Profession: Rugby player
He says: ‘This is about as far out of my comfort zone as it gets! I’m hoping to take my dad-dancing to a whole new level, and my mum can’t wait to drag me along to her Zumba class’.
Stefan Dennis
Age: 66
Profession: Actor
He says: ‘Looking forward to the sparkle and reaching for the sky.’
Ross King
Age: 63
Profession: Showbiz correspondent
He says: ‘I can’t wait to learn from the best, meet my fellow contestants, and, most importantly… try not to step on too many toes!’
Lewis Cope
Age: 30
Profession: Actor
He says: ‘I’m so excited to be swapping the Dales for the dance floor and joining this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.’
