Shirley Ballas, 66, ‘grows close’ to Italian dancer Giuseppe Nonnis, 36, after saying she had abandoned hope of finding love following ‘disaster’ relationships

Shirley Ballas is reportedly growing close to Italian dancer Giuseppe Nonnis – after saying she had abandoned hope of finding love following a series of ‘disaster’ relationships.The Strictly Come Dancing head judge, 66, and the 36-year-old hunk were pictured out together on a loved-up dog walk this weekend.They enjoyed a stroll, before stopping for a coffee where they appeared cosy as he put his arm on her back in the queue for the cafe. Shirley has been single since 2024 when she split from her fiancé Danny Taylor, 53, after six years together.Before Danny, she was married twice – to fellow professional dancers Sammy Stopford and Corky Ballas. A source who saw Shirley and Giuseppe on their recent walk said: ‘Giuseppe and Shirley looked very comfortable together as they enjoyed a walk in the sunshine.’They added to The Sun: ‘She was relaxed in his company as he gently stroked her back and neck and then later as they cuddled up on the bench. It was obvious they enjoy each other’s company.’ Shirley Ballas, seen dancing with Giuseppe Nonnis at a masterclass earlier this year, is reportedly growing close to the Italian dancer   The 36-year-old hunk was pictured with the Strictly Come Dancing judge, 66, on a loved-up dog walk and out at a cafeA representative for Shirley declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail.Shirley has also been interacting with Giuseppe on his social media, leaving flame emojis under some of his posts. She also commented under a sweet picture of him with his niece this summer: ‘I love the way Anna is holding on to your necklace, Giuseppe, how sweet. Just beautiful and so precious.’ The pair have even danced together before. He was her partner during events at the Blackpool Dance Festival back in May.It comes after last year Shirley said on a podcast that she had abandoned hope of finding love again.She said: ‘Every relationship has ended up being a disaster. I’m obsessed with what I am and with what I do. So it’s not just a job for me. I’m married to it. That’s probably why I don’t have a relationship.’I don’t think I’m put on planet Earth to have a relationship. With my last boyfriend I thought that I’d found “the one” and that also didn’t work.’Back in April of this year Shirley said she had no interest in dating, after her ex Danny did some ‘quite unforgivable things’. Shirley has been single since 2024 when she split from her fiancé Danny Taylor, 53, after six years together Shirley and Giuseppe have danced together before. He was her partner during events at the Blackpool Dance Festival back in May She has also shown support for him on social media, commenting flame and heart emojis on some of his public posts Before Danny, she was married twice – first to fellow professional dancer Sammy Stopford and then to Texan ballroom star Corky BallasShirley first met Danny in 2018 with the pair going on to date for six years, but during their relationship she said she was left ‘constantly worrying’.Speaking in a candid interview, Shirley opened up about why she called off their engagement and her plans for the future. The TV personality, who’s been married twice and engaged four times, said she has no intention to ‘call anyone a boyfriend’.She explained how Danny often ‘disappeared’ which triggered awful memories of when her brother David died by suicide aged 44 in 2003. ‘I was always frightened he was going to take his own life. He was disappearing all the time,’ she said.Shirley told The Times: ‘It just got to a point where it was so upsetting every time it happened, that I just decided to call it a day. It’s better to be on my own than constantly worrying, stressful, about somebody else.’He’s done some things that are really under the table and quite unforgivable. But I’m ok at the moment. No dates. I don’t want to call anyone a boyfriend or a this or a that.’Shirley was first engaged at the age of 16 to her then-ballroom partner Nigel Tiffany. Shirley’s first husband was ballroom dancer Sammy Stopford, to whom she was married for four years in the 80s. She went on to marry her dance partner Sammy Stopford when she was 19, but the union lasted only four years before she ran away to America with Texan dancer Corky Ballas. They married in 1985 and welcomed son Mark the following year. Together they won many major dance championships before splitting in 2007.She joined Strictly as head judge in 2017, won viewers over immediately with her expert knowledge, strict standards and Scouse warmth, and met Danny in a pantomime the following year.