Shirley Ballas, the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, experienced the breakdown of her second marriage to Corky Ballas after he entered into a relationship with a previous contestant from the programme. Shirley, 64, wed American ballroom dancer Corky in 1985, just one year following the conclusion of her first marriage to Sammy Stopford.

The pair moved to Houston in the United States, where they welcomed their son Mark Ballas, who would go on to become a professional dancer on Dancing With the Stars. Their union dissolved in 2007 amid revelations of Corky's involvement with his dance pupil, Kristina Rihanoff, who was almost ten years younger than him.

Whilst the relationship lasted five years, Shirley insists it began following their separation but prior to the finalisation of their d

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