Behind the Sequins cover art

Behind the Sequins

My Life

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Behind the Sequins

By: Shirley Ballas
Narrated by: Shirley Ballas
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About this listen

Leave it all on the floor....

Queen of Latin ballroom Shirley Ballas has a spectacular dance career spanning over 40 years - she has cha-cha'd her way across the world's dance floors to become a multi-award-winning ballroom champion and one of the most renowned dancers in the world. In 1996, Shirley retired from competitive dancing to become a highly acclaimed coach and now holds the enviable position of head judge on BBC One's prime-time show Strictly Come Dancing.

In Behind the Sequins, she leads us through her dramatic and determined life, from growing up in a rough estate on the Wirral and leaving home at 14 years old to conquering the high-octane world of ballroom and coping with betrayal, bullying, two broken marriages and a personal tragedy that left Shirley and her family devastated.

Speaking from the heart, Shirley leaves her dancing shoes at the door to tell you the story of a fiery, strong-willed grafter who could make the brat pack blush.

©2020 Shirley Ballas (P)2020 Penguin Audio
Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Celebrity Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking
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Featured article: Immerse yourself in the world of Strictly Come Dancing - 11 audiobooks for fans of the popular TV show


Strictly Come Dancing is back on our screens, which means weekends full of sequins, glitterballs and a little cha cha cha. If you love the dance competition, then we’ve got the perfect set of audiobooks for you to lose yourself in, from memoirs by the judges of the show – filled with brutal honesty and some startling revelations – to fiction set in the world of dance. Whether your favourite dance is the Viennese waltz, the Argentine tango or a classic jive, we’ve got the book to satisfy your dancing feet. And there are no duds here; all these audiobooks get perfect 10s across the board.

What listeners say about Behind the Sequins

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Great insight

I'm so glad I listened to this, great to learn and understand why and how Shirley is the way she is. I have always admired and respected her, but even more so now. A great memoir

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Shirley ballas

i like the way the story was told by the author in a very clear voice

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The fact that Shirley read the story herself made all the difference.

nothing bad to say about this book. Having been a Ballroom dancer as well , I was able to remember a lot of the feelings I had as a girl.

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A very honest autobiography .

A very honest insight from Shirley showing the highs and lows of ambition.
I enjoyed it from start to finish

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strictly fan

loved it an absolute insight into a very varied life.A strong and sensual woman who lives life to the full.

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epic

loved this book. Well put together. Well read, I couldn't put it down. a realy good read.

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Great read

loved it, great insight to Shirley's life and her time getting to be head judge on SCD

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I like Shirley but....

struggled to finish. Although Shirley has been through alot, much of it was just repeating what she'd already said, most frustrating.

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Behind the sequins…more like beneath the sequins!As Shirley tells us everything about her life!

Well what can I really say except that I now feel like I really know her. Which I don’t, but she has been extremely honest about all aspects of her life in this book, and I found this really appealing. It made me, the listener, feel like I was really getting to know her as a person. It wouldn’t have felt this way if someone else had read the book on her behalf, so Shirley thank you for doing the reading yourself.

I listened intently, as everything she had to say (and the way she said it!) was very interesting and revealing. I laughed and I cried and I laughed again, the way you might when catching up with a very close friend. I would definitely recommend this autobiography to anyone.

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Great story

Loved hearing Shirley read her story and fascinated to learn of her background and the strong family bond she has with her mum and son

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