They say they were nearly a ‘judge down’ on the BBC One dance show

The Strictly Come Dancing stars in Blackpool(Image: PA)

Shirley Ballas has said she “almost 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥” after she choked on a fish bone moments before the Strictly Come Dancing Blackpool special.

The 65-year-old judge on the BBC One dance show has said she struggled to breathe for “20 minutes” backstage at the famous Tower Ballroom on Saturday (November 22) night as the show relocated to the town for one weekend only.

Shirley told how hermake-up artist Jane Burstow came to her rescue and dislodged the fish bone by performing the Heimlich manoeuvre, with the ‘Queen of Latin’ saying the show would have been a “judge down” if it was not for Jane.

Recalling the “terrifying” moment to fans on Instagram, Shirley – who judges on Strictly Come Dancing with Craig Revel Horwood, 60, Motsi Mabuse, 44, and 59 year old Anton Du Beke – said: “I choked on a fish bone. It got lodged in my throat, and my wonderful Jane, who has been with me for nine years, did the Heimlich manoeuvre, and we got the bone out.

“But for 20 minutes there, it was lodged and I couldn’t breathe so it was terrifying. We’d have been a judge down tonight if it wasn’t for her … Gratitude to Jane because I panicked. I really thought that was it, the end, amen.”

Shirley took the worrying incident in her stride

Shirley is now back in London, and she updated her fans on how she is feeling. The star said: “I’m a bit hoarse, but all is good.” In another Instagram post, she added: “Almost didn’t make it to the desk last night.”

Following the horror ordeal, Shirley has now vowed to learn the Heimlich manoeuvre – which involves someone performing abdominal thrusts to dislodge an object that may be stuck in someone’s airways – in case she needs to use it in the future.

She said: “I’m going to study now in case I ever come across anybody who needs my help.”

The incident happened after Shirley said Strictly Come Dancing will go on “long after I’m gone” amid calls for it to be paused. The star – who replaced the late Len Goodman as Head Judge on the programme in 2017 – told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “Nobody is bigger than Strictly Come Dancing.

“Not me, not any presenters, not any dancers – that show belongs to the people. When I came on the show in 2017, nobody knew me, and it was, ‘Oh, will it fail? Will it be this? Will it be that?’ It carried on ticking and it’ll carry on ticking long after I’m gone and kicked my clogs.”