‘You must have a BALL!'

Head judge Shirley Ballas chats to TV Times about the show going live and the celebrity dancers to watch…

- STEVEN PERKINS

Shirley Ballas can’t wait to see the class of 2021 trip the light fantastic in Strictly Come Dancing’s first live show this Saturday, especially as she has already spotted star potential!

The sparkling extravaganza will see all 15 celebrities take to the floor with their professional partners to perform their debut routines. And while no one will leave the competition this week, they still need to razzle-dazzle head judge Shirley, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke (who is stepping in for Bruno Tonioli this series), as the judges’ scores will be carried over to next week’s leader board.

Here, in an exclusive interview, the always-lovely Shirley, 61, chats to TV Times about pre-show nerves, the enduring magic of Strictly, and three celebs to watch out for…

How excited are you for the start of the live shows?

I am absolutely ecstatic that I’m going to be going to work and seeing everybody’s journey again.

You always hold your breath to see if it’s actually going to go back on the TV screen again, with everything being so unpredictable, so I’m delighted to be back and to see all my friends!

Are you already busy preparing for the first show?

Yes, today I had my hair done – it’s been coiffed, puffed and coloured! I’ve had a facial and all that kind of thing, too, so I feel ready.

And my outfit is picked. Normally I’m in a short cocktail dress or something very, very long, but this is going to be something a bit different for me.

The first live show is always nerve-racking for the celebs. How do you feel ahead of it?