Strictly Come Dancing Head Judge Shirley Ballas could not join Raya
Strictly Come Dancing Head Judge Shirley Ballas wanted to join the celebrity dating app Raya following her split from fiance Danny Taylor in November 2024, but she was refused.
Shirley Ballas was rejected from joining Raya.
After the 65-year-old dancer split from fiance Danny Taylor, 52, in November 2024, Shirley wanted to find another man on the celebrity dating app, but her hunt ultimately proved unsuccessful.
The Strictly Come Dancing Head Judge told the new issue of Yours magazine: "I tried Raya, but they didn't accept me. How rude!"
Shirley is in no rush to date because her time is devoted to her son, 39-year-old dancer Mark Ballas, her 22-month-old grandson Banksi - who lives in Los Angeles with his dad Mark and his 38-year-old musician mum BC Jean - and Strictly Come Dancing.
The star - who has Mark with her ex-husband, 64-year-old ballroom dancer Corky Ballas - added: "I'm not in any hurry to date, though, I've got my grandson, my son, and Strictly is about to start.
"You take things one step at a time."
The "Queen of Latin" - who dated Danny for six years - is happy being single.
She admitted: "I'm feeling much better now I don't have a boyfriend, feeling much better that I can do my own thing."
Explaining why she and Danny split-up, Shirley added: "Danny and I had a lot of really great times, but when I weighed them all up, the burden of some other things were just too difficult - even though I thought he was a great guy."
Elsewhere in her magazine interview, Shirley - who replaced the late Len Goodman as Head Judge on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 - is looking forward to another year on the hit BBC Latin and ballroom dance show.
She said: "I know pretty much everybody that's joining.
"Ellie Goldstein is just going to bring the studio to life, she has the most magnificent personality.
"And George Clarke, the TikTok star, is crackers. I climbed Kilimanjaro with Dani Dyer in 2018."
Ellie - the 23-year-old star who is the first model with Down Syndrome to grace the cover of British Vogue magazine - George, 25, and Love Island star Dani, 29, will be battling against 13 other celebrities to lift the coveted Glitterball Trophy.
The other stars taking part in the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing - which begins on September 20 - are 37-year-old former sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey - also known as Nitro from Gladiators - retired footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 53, and Doctor Who actress Alex Kingston, 62.
Also, EastEnders actress Balvinder Sopal, 46, RuPaul's Drag Race UK star La Voix, 45, retired England rugby player Chris Robshaw, 39, and The Apprentice 2019 candidate Thomas Skinner, 34, will grace the ballroom floor.
In addition, former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, 37, Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis, 66, and Lorraine and Good Morning Britain's Los Angeles Correspondent Ross King, were also confirmed to be taking part in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
And completing this year's line-up are former England women's football player Karen Carney, 38, and Emmerdale actor Lewis Cope, 30 - who replaced Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn, 49, after he withdrew from the series for medical reasons.
