Behind the Sequins cover art

Behind the Sequins

My Life

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About this listen

Leave it all on the floor....

Queen of Latin ballroom Shirley Ballas has a spectacular dance career spanning over 40 years - she has cha-cha'd her way across the world's dance floors to become a multi-award-winning ballroom champion and one of the most renowned dancers in the world. In 1996, Shirley retired from competitive dancing to become a highly acclaimed coach and now holds the enviable position of head judge on BBC One's prime-time show Strictly Come Dancing.

In Behind the Sequins, she leads us through her dramatic and determined life, from growing up in a rough estate on the Wirral and leaving home at 14 years old to conquering the high-octane world of ballroom and coping with betrayal, bullying, two broken marriages and a personal tragedy that left Shirley and her family devastated.

Speaking from the heart, Shirley leaves her dancing shoes at the door to tell you the story of a fiery, strong-willed grafter who could make the brat pack blush.

©2020 Shirley Ballas (P)2020 Penguin Audio Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Celebrity Entertainment Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

Featured article: Immerse yourself in the world of Strictly Come Dancing - 11 audiobooks for fans of the popular TV show


Strictly Come Dancing is back on our screens, which means weekends full of sequins, glitterballs and a little cha cha cha. If you love the dance competition, then we’ve got the perfect set of audiobooks for you to lose yourself in, from memoirs by the judges of the show – filled with brutal honesty and some startling revelations – to fiction set in the world of dance. Whether your favourite dance is the Viennese waltz, the Argentine tango or a classic jive, we’ve got the book to satisfy your dancing feet. And there are no duds here; all these audiobooks get perfect 10s across the board.

Featured article Immerse yourself in the world of Strictly Come Dancing
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loved it, great insight to Shirley's life and her time getting to be head judge on SCD

Great read

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I can't recommend this enough. I couldn't stop listening to this book. A definite buy

Much better than I was expecting!!!

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Absolutely loved this book well done Shirley definitely rags to riches quickest book iv ever listened to. House is spotless

Feel like I know her now.. What a life she's had..

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If you are a fan of Strictly or have ever tried Ballroom or Latin yourself, you cannot fail to enjoy Shirley Ballas' account of her career. It's a well written and moving memoir in which Shirley's passion for dance shines through, as one might expect, but this doesn't mean that she overlooks her close relationships with her mother, brother and son, the difficulties in her marriages or the politics of the dance world. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Shirley read her own story and was sad as I approached the end because I had enjoyed her company so much.

Honest and moving

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A great listen, I really enjoyed this inspirational book. Shirley is a remarkable woman and honestly discusses the highs and lows of her life to date.

Fascinating life story

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