Shirley previously spoke out in defence of under-fire Gio

SHIRLEY Ballas has been forced to hit back at cruel trolls who commented on her appearance.

The 63-year-old took to Instagram to share a nasty message from one follower, adding her defiant response.

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Shirley has been forced to hit back at a cruel troll messageCredit: BBC

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There are just weeks to go until the new series of Strictly kicks offCredit: BBC

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Shirley has been vocal in her support of under-fire GioCredit: Instagram
Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley’s post showed the troll asking about “warts on her face”.

They wrote: “Would you consider having [them] removed from your face? I know you have lots of health and beauty treatments but I think this would be the best thing to do.”

Shirley replied: “And so it begins lol.

“Just for one’s information, I love my little bump on my chin I was born with it. It’s not a wart.

“Can always tell when @bbcstrictly is about to start, the messages get personal.”

There’s just weeks to go until Strictly’s 20th anniversary series kicks off but the launch has been tarnished by the ongoing scandals surrounding Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima.

Gio, 33, faced a BBC probe after allegations from actress Amanda Abbington, who he was paired with for the 2023 series.

Graziano, 30, was axed from the show after claims he “hit, spat at and kicked” Zara McDermott during rehearsals last year.

Shirley has previously spoken out in defence of Gio.

She said: “I’ve known Giovanni for many, many years and he’s an absolutely splendid teacher.

“My only experience of him is that of an absolute gentleman. He serves the show well and he gives 100 percent.”

Strictly’s Full Scandal So Far

Strictly Come Dancing’s scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what’s happened so far

16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.

17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.

16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.

8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.

10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.

13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.

Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”

15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.

16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.

19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.

21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.

22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.

22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.

23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.

23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.

23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.

“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”

24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.

27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.

She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.

28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.