"The more I talk about it, the easier it becomes'

TV favourite Shirley Ballas is sharing her own struggles with bladder health to help others suffering in silence

- MITYA UNDERWOOD

Strictly’s head judge Shirley Ballas may be synonymous with glitz and glamour, but she isn’t scared to tackle more uncomfortable subjects.

During a break from filming her eighth series of the BBC dance show, the Merseyside-born former Latin American champion chats to OK! about her top Strictly moments and providing much-needed cuddles backstage. She also reveals how she manages life’s “dark times” — as well as her struggle with bladder leaks.

Shirley is the new ambassador of a campaign to encourage women to do their pelvic floor exercises and seek help if they’re suffering leaks, and when we ask how the role came about, she bursts into laughter.

“It did take a minute when I was invited to do this, because even though I can talk about this among my friends, it’s a bit of a taboo subject,” she explains. “But when I sat with my mum Audrey, who’s 87, she said to me, ‘Think of all the women you could help, think of all the people out there for whom you could make it not such a taboo subject.’ She has a much better memory than me and reminded me of some of the things I’ve been through myself.”

Shirley, now 64, says that after experiencing her own bladder leaks following the birth of her son Mark, now 38, and again during menopause, she’s happily embracing her “mission” of encouraging others to speak up.

“One of the times leaks have affected me was of course when I gave birth to Mark when I was 25 and I had to wear a sort of napkin and get back to dancing straight away, there was no sort of help for me or anything.

“I gave birth to him and there was nobody there for me, it was just, ‘Get back to it and don’t complain.’ I was in pain and I was breast-feeding and I remember my boobs leaking in the church and nobody really cared or helped.