Best Foot Forward

Life lessons from the world of dance

Shirley Ballas

$55

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

BBC Books
11 October 2025

Memoirs

From bestselling author and Strictly Come Dancing's Head Judge, Shirley Ballas, a sparkling toolkit for living your best life, inspired by her remarkable life in dance.

Leave it all out on the floor...

After twenty years of shiny floors, sambas, and sequins, we're more captivated than ever by the 'Strictly Journey' - a contestant's inspirational roller-coaster ride of personal growth as they learn each new routine. It's a process that requires stamina, resilience, and an openness to total self-expression - and it teaches you as much about yourself as it does the dance.

No one knows this journey more deeply than Strictly's Head Judge, Shirley Ballas. In Best Foot Forward, she takes you on her own personal journey, sharing the tools she's developed to live life to the fullest.

Grounded in the world of dance, Shirley's life lessons offer a unique toolkit for navigating everyday challenges. Each chapter is anchored by a key principle that Shirley has learned from both personal and professional experiences, collecting fascinating stories on and off the dance floor of open-mindedness ('Listen to the Music'), self-confidence ('Dress the Part'), managing change ('Learn to Pivot'), working with others ('Trust Your Partner') and more.

Written with her trademark unguarded and nurturing style, Best Foot Forward takes you on an inspirational tour through Shirley's toolkit for living a vibrant and fulfilling life.

By: Shirley Ballas
Imprint: BBC Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 750g
ISBN: 9781785949784
ISBN 10: 1785949780
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 11 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Shirley Ballas is one of the most renowned dancers in the world. A former British Open to the World Champion, and European, German, UK, USA and International Latin American Champion, her list of accolades is vast and extraordinary. Born and raised in Wallasey, by the age of 21 Shirley had won nearly every major title she competed in. She is still the youngest ever female to reach the British Open to the World Dance Championship finals and the only woman to win it with two male partners. Shirley continued to compete at the highest level after giving birth to her only son - musician, Broadway star and entertainer, Mark Ballas - in 1985. In 1996, Shirley retired from competitive dancing, becoming the highly acclaimed teacher and coach she is today, as well as being the head judge on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. She is the author of the bestselling memoir, Behind the Sequins, and two bestselling novels, Murder on the Dance Floor and Dance to the Death.