Quotes from Shirley Ballas

My mother collects engagement rings.

My whole life I've never felt, as a female, I was up to scratch.

When I married Sammy, my first husband, we were both just so young. But I've had a hugely successful career and I owe a lot of what I learnt in the industry to him, because he was already a top professional, and I was a nobody, really.

People seem to think that, by the time you hit 45 or 50, you might as well just pack it in and call it a day.

When I was with my second husband, I'd always paint my nails and go to bed with my make-up on; he loved all that.

I'm paranoid about mosquitoes.

You have to put your partner and family at the top of the list and there must be downtime - time for gardening, cooking time, book reading time.

I'm the happiest at home when I get a visit from my daughter-in-law, BC Jean, and Mark Ballas, my son. They'll pop round for breakfast or I'll attempt to cook them a meal. That's the most special time for me.

People get embarrassed about admitting they feel low but you can't help the way you feel. Which is why exercise, taking vitamins and having time out for meditation are so important.

I am self-critical and always have been.

Ballroom is a man's world. It's tough for women, particularly single women. But I've never expected life to be anything but tough.

I'm such a perfectionist that I see every mistake that I make.

No one wants to see my bits jiggling.

There was some bullying going on in my industry, which I felt particularly when I was growing up and as I got older.

I definitely lack in self-esteem in my personal life.

What I've learned is Twitter is only a bubble - take it with a pinch of salt.

What I like to do when nobody's watching at home is, when I have my shower in the morning, I listen to music - my favorite group is Alexander Jean - they wrote a beautiful rumba called Paper Planes.' So I do my little rumba moves while I'm washing my hair.

If I was in a relationship again it would have to be with somebody that really cared about me, who was kind, caring and loving.

When I met Corky, he was a cook, a chef. He never started dancing seriously until he was 21, which shows you can make it from any age.

I meditate and take time for controlled breathing.

It doesn't seem very long ago I was a girl from a council estate with nothing but dreams.

I love ballroom dance, my favorite style being the Argentine Tango.

For 50 years of my life I never weighed myself at all, I would go by how my clothes fit, but I was back in England to take care of my mother while she was getting better. The pounds crept on and I got a little bit nervous about it.

I just remember one girl really getting me on the field and beating the holy crap out of me. I never to this day know why. And then people used to be funny because we were on welfare. People used to make fun of you. But I used to get school dinners so I thought it was great, I got a hot meal every day.