Shirley Ballas makes triumphant return to 'Strictly' just days after surgery
Strictly Come Dancing’s head judge Shirley Ballas has returned to work on the show while recovering from a breast op just days earlier.
The dance expert underwent a four-hour operation to remove her breast implants on Tuesday in a bid to reduce her cancer risk after a number of diagnoses in her family.
Read more: Shirley Ballas warns women not to have breast implants
She chose to have the surgery after finding out that implants could make cancer more difficult to detect on a mammogram, but was determined not to let it rule her out of any Strictly duties.
Shirley is doing this show after SURGERY. What a trooper. #strictly
— Keir Shiels (@keirshiels) November 2, 2019
So @ShirleyBallas has major surgery and is back on telly a few days later looking like a goddess? Yes scouse Queen you slay
— Beth Edwards (@_BethEdwards) November 2, 2019
Ballas made a brave return to the dancefloor on Saturday night in a sleek tux, and the only difference viewers could see was that she didn’t take part in her usual judges’ introduction twirl with Bruno Tonioli.
She had previously told The Sun: “I won’t be able to dance with Bruno like usual. But I think everyone will understand.
“I’ll be on a limited amount of medication because I don’t want to be twirling too high now, do I?”
Read more: Will Bayley worries Strictly injury could rule him out of Paralympics
Ballas wasn’t the only one facing tricky health issues this week, as Will Bayley, who announced earlier this week that he was quitting the competition due to injury, was in the audience cheering on his co-stars.
The cast plagued by sickness a bug, Will damn near shattering his knee, Ginger Neil ripping his calf muscles, Shirley having a breast implant removal op... are we sure this year’s #Strictly isn’t being produced by the Holby City team.
— Mitten d'Amour (@MittenDAmour) November 2, 2019
Sitting with his knee strapped up, he told host Tess Daly that he wouldn’t let the injury, which he sustained after an awkward landing in training last week, hold him back from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
The table tennis player said: “I’ll be there for Tokyo I want to try and win that Gold medal again.”
He added: “If there was any way I could dance, I promise you I’d be out there and giving it my best shot, but it really is impossible for me.”
RT to show @WillBayleytt and @jmanrara some love. ❤️#Strictly pic.twitter.com/F0qezRhO88
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) November 2, 2019
Pro dancer Neil Jones was also still out with a grade one calf strain, but at least this week his stand-in Kevin Clifton had had the full week to rehearse with Alex Scott rather than 45 minutes.
Clifton helped Scott to her second highest score of 31 points as Craig Revel Horwood told them: “I felt we saw you for the first time tonight and I have to say, this accidental partnership is working wonders.”
Strictly Come Dancing returns for the results show on Sunday at 7.15pm on BBC One.
