Shirley Ballas has said that she hopes to be a more present grandmother as she continues to fuel rumours she's quitting Strictly Come Dancing.
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The Strictly head judge, 65, hit the headlines this week over fears she won't return for the new series after landing a role on a rival show.
Now, in a new interview, the star has shared her regrets over being so busy with her career when son Mark was growing up.
She told The Mirror: 'I want to be a much better grandmother than I was a mother, as I was pursuing my career.'
Shirley continued: 'I have told him I don't think I was there for him. I used to have his teddy in my suitcase. It was very difficult for me.'
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Mark, now 39, is a professional dancer based in the US, where he lives with his two-year-old son, Banksi, whom he shares with his wife, singer-songwriter BC Jean, 38.
Shirley Ballas has said that she hopes to be a more present grandmother as she continues to fuel rumours she's quitting Strictly Come Dancing
In a new interview, the star has shared her regrets over being so busy with her career when son Mark was growing up (pictured 2015)
The couple are also expecting another child.
Shirley is reportedly set to join her son as a new judge on Dancing with the Stars in the US, fuelling speculation that she could step away from Strictly.
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The star said she would love the chance to dance the cha cha cha with her son and hopes to perform a full routine alongside him.
Mark, who featured on Dancing With The Stars from 2007 to 2023 and lifted the trophy three times, will join Shirley in helping the series find its new professional in the spin-off series, according to The Sun.
Show winner Robert Irwin, the son of late The Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin, will host the new series, which was first reported by Reality Steve.
It's not yet known when shooting for the spin-off series will take place, but there are fears it could clash with filming for Strictly, which takes place from September to December each year.
The Daily Mail have contacted the BBC and Shirley's representative for comment.
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Fans were quick to take to social media to react to the news, discussing whether or not the new role would see Shirley leave Strictly Come Dancing.
The Strictly head judge, 65, hit the headlines this week over fears she won't return for the new series after landing a role on a rival show
The TV judge, who appears alongside Craig Revel Horwood , Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke on the BBC One show, is said to be heading across the pond
One penned on Reddit: 'VERY interesting, makes me wonder if she’s considering leaving Strictly for the Dancing With The Stars main show!'
Another chimed in: 'I don’t think she will leave strictly unless they both are clashing,' as a third said: 'She'll do what Bruno did and leave for a week or two with a guest judge filling in for her...'
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Shirley would be following in the footsteps of her former Strictly judging stars Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli by appearing on Dancing With The Stars.
Both of the former panellists waved goodbye to the BBC show to appear on the American series.
The 'Queen of Latin', who was a world-renowned ballroom dancer during her career on the dance floor, took over as head judge when Len, who died in 2023, left in 2017.
The mother-of-one shares Mark with her ex-husband and professional dancer Corky Ballas, who raised their son in the competitive dance world.