Strictly star Shirley Ballas forced to turn to alternative treatments to avoid spine surgery

Shirley Ballas is hoping to avoid going under the knife and has turned to ice baths and juicing to help with serious ongoing back issues.

Last month she said in , but after further consultation she is aiming to put that off for as long as possible.

The head judge, 64, said: "I've got this disorder in my spine, degenerative spine which I haven't really talked about with anybody yet. But it is three types of operation. And I don't want to do the operations so I am doing anti-inflammatory.

"So I am trying to do more juicing I am doing ice bathing. Oh yeah I have got a brass monkey ice bath. I can go up to about four minutes now, I have built up to in the freezing, freezing cold at 5am.

"I would say it really stimulates me to start my day, plus I have cut my hours down at work because I don't want any operations for as long as I possibly don't have to have any.

"It is dance related, wear and tear on an old body, on an old gal! It is just what it is, all that back bending and head flicking you see on strictly. My main job is teaching, people see me on TV but I have a full time job teaching and lecturing all over the ."

She told Gabby Logan on the Mid Point podcast her main aim was "100%" to stop needing the operation and she had also cut out processed food too in a bid to improve her health.

Speaking in September Shirley had said she thought she would need surgery. At the time she said: “I’ve been to see three specialists and I may need surgery. It’s not a choice, I will have to get it sorted. It can wait until after Strictly because I have a high tolerance for pain anyway, and it’s something I’ve been living with for many, many years, but it’s just deteriorated over the course of the last year.”

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Shirley, now a grandmother, currently flies to America to see family regularly in between her dance commitments. But she says she is holding off moving to the US - so she can enjoy some "wonderful moments with her mum".

She continues to pine for her grandson Banksi who lives in LA with son Mark and they Facetime every day. In a separate interview in Woman's Weekley she said: "My heart drops whenever I have to leave him. Maybe it's because I am older or the fact I'm leaving my son and my grandson it's even more emotional and I end up blubbering like a 10-year-old. I may move out there one day, but for the moment I am focused on my mum. She's 87 and I'm simply happy to spend as many wonderful moments as I can with her right now."

Her mum Audrey Rich moved in with her at the end of 2021. She previously had colon cancer and asked Shirley to move in with her when she could no longer cope with the housework.

Shirley says it was "overwhelming" the first time she held her grandson and he is already trying to walk and talk, having been born in November last year.

"He would put my arms out when I came into the room and I'd dance for him and make him laugh," she said of their meetings.

"Outside of that I see him every day on FaceTime. He tries to give me a kiss through the screen and its an unbelievable feeling."

And as she heads into this weekend's Strictly show, Shirley also praised this year's cast including bookies favourite Chris McCausland.

She said: "We say this every year but this is the cast of all casts, Chris is the comedian...the cameras are about to go on and he has everyone in stitches. He is a hard worker too and everyone is taking it seriously but not taking themselves too seriously. It has been quite remarkable backstage."

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