Ashley Roberts used to date Shirley Ballas’ son.
The former Pussycat Dolls singer has only just slipped into her ballroom and latin shoes for this year’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, but it looks like she’s already concerned that her personal life may jeopardise her chances of securing the famous Glitterball Trophy as she and head judge Shirley already know one another rather well as she romanced her son Mark back in 2010.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Mark and Ashley enjoyed a number of cosy dates but decided they would be better off as friends.
"You have to wonder, given their background, whether it will make things awkward for Shirley to judge Ashley."
Ashley and Mark first met one another in 2008 but it wasn’t until 2010 – when her band mate Nicole Scherzinger competed on the American version ‘Dancing With the Stars’ – that they really decided to give their relationship a go.
A source said at the time: "Ballas hung out in a VIP section and cosied up to Ashley. He was a gracious host and made sure all the guests were having fun."
However, their romance was short lived and their busy careers – which often saw Ashley working in the UK – meant that things fizzled out between them.
Mark then went on to date singer-songwriter BC Jean and they married in 2016, while Ashley – who has remained friendly with him – is still single at the moment.
The 36-year-old singer hasn’t had the easiest time since she was confirmed for ‘SCD’ as many people claimed she had an advantage due to her dance training.
However, Shirley – who took over from Len Goodman as head judge last year – is adamant that her dance background doesn’t mean she’ll be good at ballroom.
She said last month: "She did some hip-hop. Everyone danced a bit during their careers. It’s a whole different story when it comes to ballroom or latin."
Ashley Roberts dated Shirley Ballas’ son
