'Strictly's' Shirley Ballas rowed with Craig Revel Horwood over body jibe

Shirley Ballas has revealed she had a row with fellow Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood over a comment he is said to have made about her body.

In 2018 it was reported that Revel Horwood had jokingly claimed Ballas’s breasts were “hanging out” of her outfit at her audition for the show, but that he had later apologised.

Two years later, Ballas has apparently referred to the incident in her book Behind The Sequins, saying it was “painful” and brought up bad memories from her past.

Read more: Strictly axes Halloween Week from upcoming series

In an extract obtained by The Mirror, the 60-year-old said: “It was awful and very, very painful.

“It brought up a lot of things from my past that I thought I'd dealt with.”

The dancer said she was sent back to her “toughest days” where she said her ex-husband Corky Ballas made negative comments about her appearance.

“All those insults just came flying back as I read what Craig had said, apparently in jest,” she said.

Ballas then had it out with Revel Horwood, telling him that as colleagues they should feel like protectors to each other.

She said the TV star apologised and sent her flowers.

According to the Mirror, Ballas says in her book that women don’t need anyone else to criticise them, because “we’re quite critical enough of our­­selves without them chipping in”.

Read more: Strictly will have a live studio audience for this year's show

Dancer Ballas joined the BBC show in 2017, replacing Len Goodman as the head judge.

She and Revel Horwood will be back as judges when the ballroom dancing contest returns later this year.

Yahoo has contacted a representative for Revel Horwood for comment.