Strictly judge Shirley Ballas to undergo scans after discovery of high testosterone levels

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas at the show’s 2017 red carpet launch in London (Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas at the show’s 2017 red carpet launch in London (Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas at the show’s 2017 red carpet launch in London (Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Shirley Ballas has revealed she is being sent for scans on all her organs after she was found to be suffering from abnormally high testosterone levels.

In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, the Strictly Come Dancing judge, 61, said she was told by a doctor the level of testosterone in her body was “the highest she’s seen in a female”.

Ballas told the paper: “My NHS doctor is very good, so the fact that she is concerned makes me concerned – and she was mortified by my results.”

Here is everything you need to know.

What has happened to Shirley Ballas?

The Strictly judge said she has the “highest testosterone levels” her doctor has “ever seen in a woman”.

“Testosterone can wreak havoc on the female organs,” she added. “So she’s requested an urgent scan of all of my organs at King’s College, London.

“She won’t speculate on what the cause is. She just says, ‘We need to deal with this. Let’s deal with the hormones and then see what else is there’.

“So I’ll have the scans and then I’ll be able to let everyone know what’s going on.”

How was the issue discovered?

The news comes after Ballas thanked viewers of the BBC One show for helping her discover the “concerning” symptoms in her body after they pointed out she had a lump under her arm.

The head judge previously revealed that “caring” viewers of the BBC One show had contacted her to let her know about the lump under her arm.

On Tuesday 26 October she said that doctors had received some “concerning” results to blood tests.

“The doctor said that she thought my levels were not right, my hormone levels weren’t right,” she said.

She said her testosterone and oestrogen levels were not as they should be: “All in all, a little concerning for my doctor,” she added in a video posted on Instagram.

Her fellow Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse responded to Ballas’ video: “Take care of yourself,” she wrote.

Olympian Adam Peaty, who is competing in the current series, added: “Sending all my love and positive energy.”

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister title, NationalWorld