Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas has revealed she was taken to the hospital after falling and hitting her head on a glass table.
The 65-year-old head judge on the beloved BBC programme said that doctors said she was "very lucky" and is taking time to heal her neck and back following the incident. The doctors confirmed that, thankfully, Shirley had not injured her skull.
In a post on Instagram, the Wirral-born dancer said: "Thank you to all who reached out to see how I’m doing.
"Scary fall backwards, hitting my head on the glass dressing table. Trip to the hospital to get a brain scan. Fortunately for me, no cracked skull. I'll rest for a few days to heal my neck and back.
"Hugs (and) thank you to @barbara_mccoll (a fellow professional dancer) for getting my emergency appointment and to Sammy Stopford (her ex-husband) for taking me, and sitting with me all day. Gratitude, as the doctor said, I was very lucky."
The incident came just days before Shirley was due to head on the Strictly Come Dancing tour with fellow judges Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood, which begins next week, with 30 shows scheduled until 15 February.
Shirley joined Strictly in 2017 and made her debut as head judge in September that year.
Shirley's new era
The fall came after Shirley revealed she was ready to get back on the dating scene after splitting with her partner of six years, Danny Taylor, with whom she was engaged.
Speaking about her love life, she told Daily Mail: "I may have had a date or two. I know my truth. I know my authentic self, and if I want to go out on a date I will go. Nothing serious. No labels, no tags.
"I've met several nice people over the years. If somebody asks me out and I like them, I go. If I don’t, I don’t bother. I am very careful, though, when I do go out with someone. I will have known them for a while."
Talking about what she's looking for in a partner, she added: "Humour. I like somebody with some intellect. Generosity, too. I've always been that person that pays for everybody, so it's actually quite nice when they say, 'No, I've got this.'
"I think, 'Oh, this is nice.' Somebody who’s smart, well-kept, takes care of themselves. I like that kind of guy."