Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas enters her tenth year on the BBC panel facing unexpected personal drama alongside preparations for the upcoming series. The 66-year-old dance icon has found herself at the center of attention following reports of a close relationship with Italian dancer Giuseppe Nonnis, 36, whom she was photographed with during a recent dog walk and a birthday celebration at Mamma Mia! The Party at the O2.
Strictly Come Dancing Judge Faces Unexpected Personal Drama
A Former Fiancée’s Public Warning From Texas
The situation has drawn a public warning from Dasha Chesnokova, a 38-year-old dancer and Nonnis’s former fiancée of four years. Chesnokova, who introduced Ballas to Nonnis after confiding in the judge during her own relationship troubles, described a potential romance between the two as the “ultimate betrayal.” Speaking from her dance studio in Houston, Texas, Chesnokova stated that Ballas served as her mentor for nearly two decades after they met in 2008 following Chesnokova’s arrival in the US from Ukraine.
Mentorship, Shared Photos, and a £100,000 Porsche
“Shirley was my mentor for nearly two decades. I have looked up to her for years. And I introduced her to Giuseppe. If they were together I would be so hurt,” Chesnokova told The Sun on Sunday. She added that rumors regarding the pair began to circulate in April after Ballas and Nonnis posted photographs from the same ice bath at Ballas’s home, and noted that Nonnis has been seen driving Chesnokova’s £100,000 Porsche.
Aesthetic Treatments Ahead of the New Series
While handling the headlines regarding her personal life, Ballas has also addressed her appearance ahead of the new Strictly Come Dancing series. The judge revealed she underwent £4,500 worth of aesthetic treatments, specifically six NeoGen nitrogen plasma sessions with Dr Maude Calveley at the Ouronyx aesthetic clinic in central London, alongside earlier treatments by Dr Johanna Ward.
Ballas stated that the non-surgical skin rejuvenation procedures have left her feeling more confident than ever as she approaches a decade on the judging panel. “I recently saw some photographs of me taken in 2017, and if I’m really honest with myself, I was quite embarrassed,” Ballas explained, noting that she previously faced critical commentary on social media regarding her appearance. She added that her son, professional dancer Mark Ballas, remarked on the results while she was working on the US show Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.
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