David Rich (late older brother) and two half-siblings from paternal side
Is Shirley Ballas a lesbian/bisexual?
No
What is Shirley Ballas marital status?
Single as of 2026; twice divorced; one son, Mark Ballas
How many children does she have?
1 (son Mark Ballas Jr)
Shirley Ballas was born to George and Audrey Rich in Wallasey, England. Her father left the family when she was young, and her mother raised Shirley and her brother David. David died in 2003.
Ballas was married to dancer Sammy Stopford from 1980 to 1984 and to dancer Corky Ballas from 1985 until 2007. She and Corky have one son, professional dancer and choreographer Mark Ballas. Shirley later became engaged to actor Danny Taylor, but the couple separated in 2024 after six years together. In 2026, she said she was single and not rushing into another relationship.
Shirley Ballas husband
Sammy Stopford (ex-husband; were married in 1980-1984)
photo instagram.com/samuelstopford
Date of birth: 1956
Shirley met Samuel Francis John Stopford when she was dancing with Nigel, her teen partner. They won lots of competitions in England, but that wasn’t the level Shirley was dreaming about. That’s why she was so happy when she met the dancing teacher Sammy Stopford. He was 4 years older than her and he has achieved a lot to the moment of their meeting. He won the All England Professional Latin Championship with his first partner Lyn Aspden. Besides, Sammy owned the dance studio in Wythenshawe.
Shirley confessed that she had to leave her partner Nigel to start dancing with Sammy. He taught her a lot, and with him, she became the best Latin Dancer in the world. With Sammy, she tried her hand like a dance coach for the first time, too.
Shirley Rich and Sammy Stopford tied a knot in 1980. Later Shirley opened up to her fans, that they were united by the passion for dancing. But they were too different as personalities. Sammy preferred to spend evenings at home with a pile of DVDs at a hand. But she liked to go out and meet new people. Occasionally, she met a dancer Corky Ballas. He fell in love with Shirley and put his back in winning her heart. In 1984 she separated from Sammy. They still maintain a friendly relationship.
After separation from Shirley, Sammy started dancing with Barbara McColl, the professional ballroom dancer. Together they’ve won several World Latin Championships, including the European Professional Latin and the United States Open Latin contests. They still work as dance coaches.
Barbara and Sammy have a son Sammy Stopford Jr, the famous opera tenor in England.
Corky Ballas (ex-husband; were married in 1985-2007)
photo instagram.com/samuelstopford
Date of birth: December 25, 1960
We’ve already told you about Corky Ballas here. The only thing to add is that Shirley described their relationships in her biography “Behind the Sequins”. In that book, she opened up, that Corky wasn’t happy when he knew about her pregnancy as it interrupted their dancing career. Besides, Shirley understood many years later that Corky loved her dancing technique more than her personality.
He was still married to Shirley when he fell in love with Kristina Rihanoff, the ballroom dancer. Corky’s romance with Kristina caused his separation from Shirley. The couple officially divorced in 2007.
The year after that Corky and Kristina ended their relationship.
The name of her father is George Andrew Rich, although in the family circle he was often called Andy. In her childhood years, Shirley missed her father, because he was a rare guest in her house. He left her mom when the girl was just two.
Later Shirley told that volatile relationships with her father were the reason for wrong men choices in her life.
Andy Rich came from a troubled family, too. His parents divorced when he was a kid. He grew up with one full sister and two half-siblings from the maternal side. He met Audrey, Shirley’s mother when he was in his late teens. Then, he delivered milk to school, which Audrey used to attend as a pupil.
Later Andy and Shirley’s mother worked together on a bus. He was a conductor and she was a clippie. They gradually fell in love and started dating. That all ended with the marriage and birth of two kids – David and Shirley.
As the dancer confesses in her book, her dad was very unpredictable and often gave empty promises. He changed his jobs very often and always was lack of money. During some period he ran a bar. After his divorce from Shirley’s mother, Andy re-married 3 times. But each marriage was unhappy.
Shirley tells that she missed a strong paternal figure in her life. At the same time, she adds, that she found the strength to forgive her father and to make peace with him. He passed away in spring 2021 from a sudden heart attack.
Audrey Rich (mother)
photo instagram.com/shirleyballas/
Audrey is a frequent guest on her daughter’s Instagram. She looks great and inspires the ladies from different parts of our planet to look great at any age.
Audrey is the daughter of Frank and Daisy Rich. Frank was a cabinet-maker, while Daisy was a great cook. Daisy grew up on a farm, and Frank’s father owned a dairy shop. They had 5 kids.
Audrey got married at a very early age, but her family life turned to be a nightmare. After her divorce from Andy Rich, she maintained two children by herself. Audrey has always been financially independent. She took any job she could to provide her son and daughter with everything necessary. Later she spent tons of money for Shirley’s dancing classes, stage dresses, and shoes. Audrey worked as a shop girl and as a waitress.
Nowadays, Shirley and her mother are incredibly close. They spend a lot of time together despite the dancer’s busy schedule.
Shirley Ballas siblings
David Rich (older brother)
photo instagram.com/shirleyballas
Date of birth: 1959
Date of death: 2003
Shirley still misses her only full sibling, a brother David. He committed suicide at the age of 44 after a long battle with depression. In 2010 the dancer and her son Mark created a fund, the aim of which was suicide prevention. Later Mark wrote the song “All For Nothing”, which he devoted to his uncle. David was very close with Mark. He was that person, who participated in his upbringing. Very often David spent time with his nephew as well as with his own daughter.
Shirley has two half-siblings from the paternal side, too. Their names are undisclosed.
Bio
Shirley Annette Ballas is an English ballroom dancer, coach and television judge born on September 6, 1960. Known as the “Queen of Latin,” she built an international competitive career in Latin dance and later coached numerous champions.
Ballas joined “Strictly Come Dancing” as head judge in 2017. She has also appeared in dance programs and stage productions and published the memoir “Behind the Sequins.” Her son Mark Ballas is a professional dancer, choreographer, musician and former “Dancing with the Stars” professional. After ending her engagement to Danny Taylor in 2024, Ballas described herself as single in 2026.
Interesting and fun facts
Ballas is widely known as the “Queen of Latin.”
She became head judge on “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2017.
Her son Mark Ballas is a professional dancer and choreographer.
She published the memoir “Behind the Sequins.”
She and former fiancé Danny Taylor separated in 2024.
Loading...
