Strictly’s Shirley Ballas puts on brave face as she returns to the show four days after DD breast implants are removed

SHIRLEY Ballas gently made her way down the stairs on Strictly Come Dancing as she defied her surgeon and returned to work four days after a breast operation.

The 59-year-old head judge appeared to still be in the middle of recovery when she stepped gingerly across the set on last night’s show.

She was back on screens on Saturday night after a four-and-a-half hour operation on Tuesday to have her DD breast implants removed.

Shirley had decided to revert to her natural A cup because a risk of cancer runs in her family.

Dressed in a black tuxedo and elegant bow tie instead of her usual flowing gown, she reunited with her fellow judges at the start of the show.

She briefly embraced Motsi Mabuse as part of the mini-routine before they and co-stars Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli took their seats.

Shirley told The Sun’s Dan Wootton last week that she would be ignoring the explicit orders of her surgeon to stay off work.

She said: “I have stuck to all of Dr Waterhouse’s rules apart from one, which was: ‘Don’t go to work on Saturday!’.”

The star said she was so determined to return to Strictly that she weaned herself off powerful painkillers in favour of paracetamol and antibiotics to stave off an infection.

Shirley added that there had been no pressure from BBC bosses to return, saying they had been “1,050 per cent supportive from the beginning”.

She added: “I thought they may say: ‘Do it after the show.’

“But they said: ‘If that’s what is on your mind and you feel this will benefit you because you’ve got all this cancer going on in your family and you feel it’s burdening you, then we are supportive of you.’

“They said they didn’t want me back at work unless I am cleared to go back to work.

“They said they would welcome me with open arms and that if I couldn’t come back they would deal with it.

“They told me to take my time and not to make a decision. There was no mention of bringing in another judge, there was none of that at all.”

Speaking about Strictly’s opening routine, Shirley went on: “I won’t be able to dance with [fellow judge] Bruno like usual. But I think everyone will understand.

“I’ll be on a limited amount of medication because I don’t want to be twirling too high now, do I?”

Last night, Karim Zaroual and Amy Dowden topped the leaderboard before the public’s votes had been added, with a score of 39.