Man, 37, pleads GUILTY to stalking Strictly judge Shirley Ballas in terrifying six-year ordeal
A MAN has pleaded guilty to stalking Strictly judge Shirley Ballas in a terrifying six-year ordeal.
Kyle Shaw, 37, bombarded 64-year-old Shirley with messages from 2017 to 2023 - forcing her to beef up her security measures.
Shaw today pleaded guilty to stalking Shirley at Liverpool Crown Court.
The court was told Shaw posted pictures of Shirley's home on social media and attempted to contact her friends and colleagues.
He also arranged to attend her booked tour and forced the former dancer to "relocate her mother to a different property".
The charge stated that at Shaw ‘‘pursued a course of conduct, namely sending messages online, which amounted to stalking causing Shirley Ballas serious alarm or distress”.
It added this “had a substantial adverse effect on her usual day-to-day activities”.
Prosecutor Angela Conlan said that he was responsible for “persistent actions over a prolonged period spanning from 2017 to 2023”.
Shaw was released on bail on the condition he does not contact Shirley or her partner or enter London.
The stalker, who also admitted possession of cannabis, will be sentenced on April 1 at the same court.
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The case comes five months after Shirley said she called in police after a man took photos of her house and car,
He also "lunged" at her on one occasion - although it is not known whether that case is connected to Shaw's.
She said: "I like to be kind of like a free bird, but we’re coming into times now where you have to be more vigilant of yourself.
“You’re upping your level of alarms. And I always tell my mum, ‘I’m here, I’ve arrived’. I wouldn’t bother normally but it’s become a thing that we do.
‘‘I always like to say, ‘I’m safe, I’m in the right place, I’m where I should be.’
“Thankfully the BBC’s duty of care towards me has been one thousand per cent. They have been fantastic.
“So, in some of these instances, when it was difficult — this stalker came from the North of England — I had somebody walking me from the hotel. They checked in on me to make sure that I was OK. I just felt very well protected.”
