Shirley Ballas’ stalker, Kyle Shaw, believed the Strictly judge was his biological aunt and held her responsible for his brother’s death.

A man who obsessively stalked Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas for six years and threatened to “ruin” her life has been issued a restraining order. Kyle Shaw pleaded guilty to harassing the 64-year-old dance icon from August 2017 to November 2023 under the belief that she was his biological aunt and implicated in his brother’s death.

Shaw’s behaviour included persistent attempts to contact Ballas, following her elderly mother in a supermarket, reaching out to her friends and colleagues, and sharing an image of her residence online, as detailed in court. Prosecutor Nicola Daley informed Liverpool Crown Court during Shaw’s sentencing today about the stalker’s misguided belief that Ms Ballas’ deceased brother was his father. Ms Daley revealed: “He believed that her late brother was his father. She recalls the constant contact, a lot of the time accusing her of being responsible for her brother’s death because her brother took her own life,” reports the Mirror.

Kyle Shaw was given a 20-month prison sentence (Image: PA)

The prosecutor described Shaw’s communications with Ballas as “a menacing manner,” highlighting one message: “You ruined my life, I’ll ruin yours and everyone’s around you”.

Furthermore, Ms Daley conveyed: “Ms Ballas was understandably frightened and became worried for her own safety.”

The court also learned that Ballas had to enhance her personal security measures and relocate her 86-year-old mother from her Wirral home due to concerns over Shaw’s actions.

In a statement to the court, Shaw’s mother confessed she had hinted to her son that his biological father might be David Rich, Ms Ballas’ late brother, David, who tragically took his own life at 44 in 2003.

However, Judge Woodhall expressed to the defendant that it was “difficult to determine” the veracity of his belief that he is related to Ms Ballas. Whereas John Weate, defending Shaw, described his client as having “complex mental health issues”.

Shirley Ballas is a beloved judge on Strictly Come Dancin g (Image: BBC)

He stated: “The information which was fed to him when he was in his middle to late teens and added to towards the latter part of his 20s fuelled the situation which very sadly led to the commission of this offence.

Weate continued: “He effectively reached out to people he believed were family members without seeing the effect that his behaviour was having on those people. He now accepts Ms Ballas and her family don’t wish to have any contact with him.

“He has no intention of contacting them again and doesn’t want to find himself in a similar situation. He understands that it would be totally inappropriate for him at any time in the future to reach out in either a genuine way or in an inappropriate way.”

Judge Woodhall, while sentencing Shaw, expressed: “I’m satisfied your motivation was a desire to connect with people you believed were your family. Whether there was any truth in that belief is difficult to determine.

However, you then embarked upon a consistent campaign of contact involving implicit threats involving not only Shirley Ballas but those connected with her.” He continued: “Your comments, contact and threats have caused serious alarm to Ms Ballas and her partner. She’s suffered sleepless nights. Her driver describes the visible concern and distress he witnessed.”

Judge Woodhall continued: “You also contacted other family members. She felt it was necessary to relocate her mother to live with her in London to secure her safety. She’s had many sleepless nights. She lives effectively in fear of what you might do”.

Overcome with emotion, Shaw from Whetstone Lane in Birkenhead wept and covered his face as he received a life-long restraining order to protect Ms Ballas and her relatives.

Additionally, he was given a 20-month suspended prison sentence, which allows him to avoid jail time as long as he refrains from committing further offences within the next 20 months.