Shirley Ballas has flown to the US for Dancing With The Stars amid speculation about her Strictly future.
The head judge, 66, shared an Instagram video from her flight ahead of Tuesday’s guest judging appearance.
But her visit has already prompted questions from fans about judging her son, professional dancer Mark Ballas. He’s competing with Maura Higgins, meaning Shirley will assess their performance during Horror Movie Night.
Shirley Ballas faces questions over judging her son
Some viewers questioned whether the family connection could affect the scores, MailOnline reported.
One worried she might favour Mark, or mark him more harshly because she expects more from him. Those comments concerned the upcoming appearance, rather than any scores Shirley has already given the pair.
Another posted on X: “Shirley Ballas judging her son… that should be interesting!”
The reaction wasn’t all criticism, though. Other fans welcomed the announcement and posted enthusiastic messages beneath her travel video.
Maura also joined in, leaving crying-laughing emojis on Shirley’s Instagram post.
Shirley captioned the clip: “DWTS, I’m on my way.”
She showed the small shoes she uses to demonstrate correct footwork, alongside a glittery skull for the Halloween-themed episode.
While judging Mark’s performance brings a different dynamic, the pair have already worked together on a US dance programme.
Shirley previously joined her son on DWTS spin-off The Next Pro. That series followed 12 dancers competing for a professional contract on the main show.
Shirley Ballas’s Strictly future remains uncertain
Away from Tuesday’s booking, reports have raised questions about what happens when the current Strictly series ends.
According to the Daily Mail, all four judges’ contracts expire at the end of this run. That includes Shirley, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke.
A source told the newspaper that their terms would need renegotiating, suggesting Shirley could be the most likely to leave.
The source added: “It will all be very up in the air in December once this run is over.”
Family was also cited as a possible factor. The source claimed Shirley wants to spend more time with her grandchildren in the US.
Speaking to The Mirror in February, Shirley discussed regrets about balancing motherhood with her dancing career. She said she wanted to be a more present grandmother
ED! has contacted the BBC for comment.
Dancing With the Stars airs tomorrow night (Tuesday, October 27) from 8pm E/T on ABC and Disney+.
Strictly continues on Saturday (October 31) from 6.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.