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‘Strictly’ judge praised her ‘wonderful’ assistant who came to the rescue before Saturday’s show
Roisin O'ConnorMonday 24 November 2025 10:17 GMTComments
CloseLa Voix exits Strictly Come Dancing: ‘I'm giving someone else a chance to win’
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Shirley Ballas suffered a scary incident where her assistant had to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on her after she choked on a fishbone.
The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 65, said she thought it was “the end” when the bone got lodged in her throat half an hour before Saturday’s show in Blackpool.
Ballas had been preparing backstage before the episode went live to an audience of around seven million from the famous Ballroom Tower.
“I choked on a fishbone,” she wrote on Instagram. “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.”
She continued: “Gratitude to Jane because I panicked. I really thought that was it, the end, amen. But for 20 minutes there, it was lodged and I couldn’t breathe so it was terrifying.”
The professional dancer joked: “We’d have been a judge down tonight if it wasn’t for [Jane].”
She returned to London following the show, telling her fans that she was “a bit hoarse but all is good”.
Ballas also vowed to learn the Heimlich manoeuvre, which involves a person performing abdominal thrusts to a choking victim, to help dislodge items trapped in their airway.
She posted a clip to Instagram on Sunday with her team, captioning it: “Actual footage of my team coming to save me after my Blackpool fish got stuck in my throat.”
“Really glad to hear you’re OK!” one fan commented.
Another wrote: “So pleased that you’re OK, must have been a scary moment. Huge thanks to the team for helping you.”
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Shirley Ballas thought it was 'the end' after she choked shortly before going live on 'Strictly Come Dancing' (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)Elsewhere in Strictly news, Drag Race UK star La Voix was forced to withdraw from the competition after suffering an injury on the show.
”With me leaving unexpectedly, this is not how I wanted my journey to end, at least it gives someone else in this competition a chance to win now,” La Voix said.
Hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman later confirmed that there would be no elimination this week and there would therefore be no dance off.
Six couples now remain and will compete in the next episode, which will air Saturday 29 November on BBC One.
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