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Shirley Ballas, chief judge on Strictly Come Dancing, is celebrated for her glamour and flair, yet she's equally willing to address more challenging topics. The former Latin American champion from Merseyside spoke candidly about managing life's 'darker moments' - alongside her battle with bladder leaks. Shirley has taken on the role of ambassador for a campaign championing pelvic floor exercises whilst urging women to seek assistance when dealing with leaks. Speaking about how she became involved in this position, she revealed to OK!: "It did take a minute when I was invited to do this, because even though I can talk about this among my friends, it's a bit of a taboo subject. "But when I sat with my mum Audrey she said to me, 'Think of all the women you could help, think of all the people out there for whom you could make it not such a taboo subject.' She has a much better memory than me and reminded me of some of the things I've been through myself." Shirley disclosed that she had her own encounters with the condition following the birth of her son Mark and throughout the menopause. It has become her 'mission' to promote frank conversations as part of her partnership with Always Discreet's Squeeze the Day campaign. "One of the times leaks have affected me was of course when I gave birth to Mark when I was 25 and I had to wear a sort of napkin and get back to dancing straight away, there was no sort of help for me or anything. I gave birth to him and there was nobody there for me, it was just, 'Get back to it and don't complain.' I was in pain and I was breast-feeding and I remember my boobs leaking in the church and nobody really cared or helped. "It wasn't pretty for me after I gave birth to my son or during menopause. I kept it all very personal, as I did with the menopause, but my mum thinks life is about helping people, that's why I'm on this mission. So, I think it's important we talk about bladder leaks, and the more I talk about it, the easier it becomes." Shirley became a mother to her son Mark Ballas - now a three-time Dancing with the Stars champion in the US - in 1986, shortly after marrying his father and fellow dance prodigy, America's Mark 'Corky' Ballas. "It was very different back then," she said. "I was still working the night before I gave birth and six weeks after he was born, I had to get back to dancing. I remember my dance teacher saying to me at the time, 'How dare you come out here and compete with those stretch marks?' He marked us sixth in a competition we should've really won. "I still remember the feeling that he left me with. And then I was in the darkest place in my life during menopause. It's only now that I'm learning a lot more about it, and I just want to make it easy and not a taboo subject." Following nearly ten years as head judge, Shirley now assumes a somewhat maternal role away from the cameras, kindly providing wisdom and support alongside her professional assessment. This guidance carries extra weight considering the programme's landmark 20th series, which faced potential disruption from allegations of improper behaviour, prompting a BBC investigation. During this series, she believes she's more attuned to the backstage atmosphere than previously. "I feel like this series, particularly, I'm more aware of everything that's going on backstage, and if I feel that somebody needs an extra snuggle bunny cuddle, I take off my Strictly dance hats and I'm there on an emotional basis for some people," she revealed.
