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Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas's new role in Dancing with the Stars revealed

Shirley Ballas is heading to Hollywood!

Shirley Ballas resting her back on a wall, posing for a photo. She is looking ahead and resting her hand on her chest.

Disney/Maarten De Boer

Published: Wednesday, 21 October 2026 at 10:43 am

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Shirley Ballas has been confirmed as a guest judge on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, with the Strictly Come Dancing head judge set to join the panel for the show's horror movie-themed week.

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Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough revealed the news at the end of last night's dedication night, as Ribeiro told viewers: "Next Tuesday on horror movie night, our special guest judge is our dancers' worst nightmare – Shirley Ballas!"

This appearance marks the first time Shirley has judged her son Mark Ballas's dancing on a competition show.

Mark, a three-time Dancing with the Stars champion, is competing this season with Love Island and I'm a Celebrity favourite Maura Higgins. The pair have been strong performers in season 35, with Higgins topping the leaderboard earlier in the run.

Radio Times understands this will not affect Shirley's participation on Strictly Come Dancing.

Mark and Shirley Ballas stood next to each other. Mark is mid-speech while Shirley is turned to him and smiling.

Mark and Shirley Ballas. Vince Valitutti/Disney via Getty Images

Julianne, a long-time friend of the Ballas family, offered her own warning about what the contestants can expect, saying: "She's one of the most respected ballroom dancers in the entire world, but she is very, very strict."

Ballas has been head judge of Strictly on BBC One since 2017, and is known for her exacting, sometimes blunt critiques. She recently served on the judging panel of the spin-off Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro alongside Mark and a rotating third judge.

Ballas has had nothing but good things to say about her time on The Next Pro, where she sat on the panel with Mark and fellow judge Derek Hough, whom she trained as a young dancer.

"Just to sit next to Mark and Derek on the desk was extraordinary for me, because obviously I've trained Mark since he was four and Derek since he was about eight or nine," she told Extra, adding that the experience "was a joy, it was a sheer joy".

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Katelyn Mensah, smiling against a lime green background.

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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