Quotes from Shirley Ballas

I don't like the darkness and sleep with the light on.

My favorite room in my house is my bedroom; my private space where I can go to do my reading or listen to music.

When I first went on Strictly' I had a little phase at the beginning, you know, when I was sat next to this really beautiful lady, Darcey Bussell - this ballerina, this Snow White beauty - that I stopped eating until I looked at myself and realized I looked so gaunt.

Don't do what I did and think you need to have these procedures to make you look more attractive. Don't look at the implant and think it will make you beautiful and everyone will really love you.

You can't make somebody love you, no matter what you do to yourself. You can get implants, you can get all these procedures, thinking you will be more of a woman for that person. But it does not make a difference. If they don't love you, they won't no matter what you do to your appearance.

I've been in an industry of glitz since I was a little girl. I'm always going to love to wear eveningwear and eyelashes.

Aside from dancing, the biggest and proudest moment of my whole entire life was when my son Mark was born.

Riches and fame don't come close to having family members and close friends who really care for you.

I think dancing was a way of showing your femininity and, through the years, your strength, because it's a male-dominated industry.

One of the things people learn with me is I don't need to pull someone else down to build myself up, and I will live and die by that rule.

I think I was always driven because I came from absolutely nothing. I was that piece of rubbish from a block of flats on a council estate.

The first thing I do in the morning is pick up my cell phone and call my mother to check that she's ok, and the first thing I do in the evening is call my mother to see how she's doing, and my son to see how his day went.

I've discovered if you have a small circle of people you know you can rely on - in good times, bad times, happy times, sad times - who aren't going to judge you and will, sometimes, just sit and listen to you without saying anything, then I think you're very fortunate.

I've had cancer cells removed from my womb several times.

Curvy women are gorgeous. All women are gorgeous.

It's important to show your gratitude for where you are in your life and for those around you.

My hairdresser Alan, who I've known since I began competing, lives with us, along with his husband Nathan, so I have my own gay gaggle.

I met my first dance partner when I was about 17 or 18 and we were married by the time we were 18 or 19, I don't remember the exact date, and everything was dance, dance, dance. Then there came just a short space of time where I was wondering whether I was missing out on anything. Back then when you danced, everybody married their dance partner.

As a child I was always busy, always throwing myself into something, whether it was the Brownies or a play at school.

My mum has taught me that the clock is ticking and you have to enjoy every moment - you can not replace time.

I like the table to be beautiful with flowers and a nice tablecloth. I'm the hostess with the mostess.

My mother raised two children on a housing estate, in a place where people said once you got on, you never got off. And she believed in me. So when people tell you that you can't, you can.

When you get to my age, 59, the thought of getting the Latin dress and the Latin shoes on is a bit worrying. Your heart and your mind is always willing, but sometimes your body just says What are you doing?!'

On Twitter one lady said, I've seen corpses that look better than Shirley.' I saw the picture she was talking about that Comic Relief had posted and I thought, Well yeah, she's got a point.'