Shirley Ballas says she will be ‘glam-ma’ instead of ‘grandma’ ahead of first grandchild’s birth
Shirley Ballas has declared herself a “glam-ma” as opposed to a “grandma” in anticipation of meeting her first grandchild in October.
The Strictly Come Dancing star, 62, said she “couldn’t be more excited” about the forthcoming birth of her son Mark’s first child.
Mark, who is a professional dancer on the US version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars, and his wife BC Jean announced in June that they are expecting a baby.
In an appearance on BBC Breakfast on Monday morning (7 August), Ballas said: “I’m going to be a glam-ma for the first time.
“His beautiful wife BC Jean, she’s six-and-a-half months pregnant and I couldn’t be more excited. Due around about 29 October, I believe.”
Ballas and her mother will be travelling to Los Angeles, where the couple live, to visit for a few weeks, she said, adding that she plans to travel back and forth when the new series of Strictly begins filming in September.
She said: “I can fly on a Sunday. Len [Goodman, the former head judge] used to do that with Bruno [Tonioli], they’d fly on a Sunday and back on a Friday. My son is in Los Angeles so where there’s a will there’s a way, as with my challenges.”
Elsewhere on the breakfast programme, Ballas opened up about a trio of challenges she will undertake later this month to raise money for a suicide prevention charity in honour of her late brother.
Conquering her fear of heights, the dancing competition judge is getting ready to do a Skyathlon challenge, which involves a zipline, a 700-ft wing walk, and a 15,000-ft skydive.
Speaking about her reasons for embarking on the challenge, Ballas said: “About 20 years ago my brother took his own life, and it was tragic. My mother and I didn’t really realise that that was what was going to happen.
“Even a month ago I had a student, 38 years old, who also took her own life. I seem to be surrounded, some friends, and all the messages I’ve been getting on my Instagram, it’s affecting more people than we realise. I wouldn’t want anybody out there to experience what my mum and I have experienced through losing somebody to suicide.”
“And I’ll tell you, it’s got no face. And it can happen to anybody at any age. And I just don’t want people to feel that,” she continued.
“So I’m going to do these challenges particularly for everybody out there and hopefully they will donate to this magnificent Calm charity, Campaigning Against Living Miserably.”
The first batch of celebrity contestants for the new season of Strictly was unveiled last Friday (4 August). Among others, the starry line-up includes broadcasting legend Angela Rippon, Bad Education star Layton Williams, and Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington, whose particular announcement has been mired in controversy over comments Abbington made in the past about drag queens.
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