"Shirley Ballas shares her harrowing experience of six years of stalking, expressing feelings of persistent unease and anxiety"
In a chilling tale of harassment and vigilance, Shirley Ballas, the head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, has shared her harrowing experience with being stalked by a man named Kyle Shaw.
For over five years, from August 2017 to November 2023, Shaw, a 37-year-old individual, relentlessly pursued Ballas, causing her significant distress. His actions were so severe that they affected not only Ballas but her family as well.
Shaw's methods were far from subtle. He sent Ballas threatening messages, including a picture of her house and car on social media. The messages were particularly hard for Ballas' elderly mother Audrey, who never got over the death of her son. Shaw even went so far as to confront Audrey in a supermarket.
Shaw claimed to be the biological son of Ballas' late brother David in his messages to her. One of the messages read: "Just a reminder, my dad is dead because of you, because you left him alone. He's dead. You killed him. You murdered him. You did this. Why did you leave my dad to die?"
The stalking took a toll on Ballas' life, causing her to live with constant vigilance. She installed CCTV and an extra alarm system at her house, and she has not travelled by train since the incident due to the heightened fear. Ballas now avoids going to the park after six o'clock and never uses ear plugs when walking.
In a bid for control, Shaw threatened to turn up at dates on the promotional tour for Ballas' debut novel. This led Ballas to increase her security measures even further.
Kyle Shaw pleaded guilty to stalking Shirley Ballas, causing serious harm or distress, at Liverpool Crown Court.
In her new memoir, Best Foot Forward, Ballas provides detailed accounts of the stalking incident. She expresses her deep concern that Shaw might put a bomb through the letterbox or set her house on fire. Ballas feels that her life should not have to be lived with constant vigilance due to the stalking, and she states that she will "never feel completely safe again" due to being stalked by Shaw.
Despite the traumatic events, Ballas continues to be a beacon of resilience and strength. Her memoir serves as a testament to her courage and determination to share her story in the hopes of helping others who may find themselves in similar situations.
