Strictly's Shirley Ballas becomes a grandmother for the first time

George Lewis

6 December 2023 at 6:03 am·2-min read

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has become a grandmother for the first time after her son Mark welcomed a baby boy.

The former Dancing with the Stars professional welcomed his first child with wife Brittany Jean Carlson last month, with Mark posting an announcement on Instagram.

“Welcome to Earth my son ✨Banksi Wylde Ballas 11 / 5 / 23,” he wrote, accompanying a photo of the family holding hands.

As well as congratulating the happy couple, Shirley also received a message of support from her fellow Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse, with the star writing: “Congratulations mom & dad . Wishing you all the best !!! @shirleyballas congratulations Shirley ❤️❤️”.

Mark also received a message from Charli D’Amelio, with whom he triumphed in the 31st season of Dancing with the Stars, with the social media personality writing: “CONGRATULATIONS!! SO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️”.

Mark subsequently left the show following his victory, calling time on his 20-season stint with a speech during a live show earlier this year: “I started this journey when I was 21, 22, and honestly being able to dance and perform for you fans, you guys are the best fans.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by markballas (@markballas)

“I just want to finish this by saying that this will be the last time you see me dance in this capacity. I’m coming to a close tonight. This is going to be my last dance. I'm not saying this is the end. This is just the last time I’ll be dancing with a partner.”

The most recent season of Dancing with the Stars concluded last night (December 5), with Xochitl Gomez and professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy taking home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy after winning the public vote.

Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Dancing with the Stars airs on Tuesday nights on ABC in the US, where it also streams on Disney+.

Tickets for Strictly's 2024 live arena tour are available now.

Interested in talking about Strictly Come Dancing? Visit our dedicated sub-forum

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