Despite being harassed by trolls last season, Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas looks to have confirmed her return to the show.
The championship ballroom dancer has been on the reality dancing series for the previous six seasons, most notably alongside Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood, and Motsi Mabuse.
However, Shirley, 62, revealed this month the toll trolling had had whilst judging the 20th season, which saw wildlife presenter and videographer Hamza Yassin and Jowita Przystal win.
She stated that nasty comments from viewers at home had sent her to a ‘all-time low’ after she got hundreds of ‘really horrible’ letters about judgements she made while sending contestants home.
When asked if she will return to Strictly, Shirley said vaguely that she was taking things “one step at a time.”
However, she has addressed her return once more, and it appears that she will feature on Strictly next season.
‘Well… I do believe it’s in the process. Is that the right way to say it? Yes.. their people are talking to my people,’ she stated on The Jonathan Ross Show, which airs this weekend.
Shirley had stated that she was’struggling’ last year when asked about the impact of the trolling.
‘It wasn’t just a little bit, it was a lot – the majority of it was in silence,’ she told The Mirror.
‘I felt the abuse snowballed out of control and impacted me in such a negative way.
‘I’m a pretty stoic person, and I tend to hold everything in.’
She did, however, add that the BBC was ‘wonderful’ in checking in on her and offered her counselling and support.
When asked whether she would consider quitting Strictly, Shirley said: ‘It was a difficult series, I’ll leave it at that,’ before remarking: ‘Will I go back to Strictly? I always take one step at a time.’
She did, however, emphasise how much she ‘really loves’ her part on the programme and how’rewarding’ it is.
The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday on ITV at 9.50pm.