A frightening medical emergency nearly prevented Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas from appearing on Saturday night’s Blackpool special.
The 65-year-old found herself unable to breathe after a fish bone became stuck in her throat backstage at the Tower Ballroom.
The incident occurred approximately 30 minutes before the live broadcast, leaving the judge struggling for air for a full 20 minutes.
Her makeup artist of nine years, Jane Burstow, quickly intervened by performing the Heimlich manoeuvre.
The life-saving technique successfully removed the obstruction from Ms Ballas’s airways.
Without Ms Burstow’s swift action, the judging panel would have been incomplete for the prestigious Blackpool show, which attracts more than seven million viewers.
The Queen of Latin took to Instagram to share her harrowing experience with fans.
“I choked on a fish bone. It got lodged in my throat, and my wonderful Jane, who has been with me for nine years, did the Heimlich manoeuvre, and we got the bone out,” she revealed.
Ms Ballas described the intensity of her fear during those critical moments. “But for 20 minutes there, it was lodged and I couldn’t breathe so it was terrifying.”
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She expressed profound appreciation for her hairstylist’s intervention. “We’d have been a judge down tonight if it wasn’t for her,” she stated.
The veteran judge admitted to experiencing genuine terror. “Gratitude to Jane because I panicked. I really thought that was it, the end, amen.”
Following her ordeal, Ms Ballas has returned to London and provided reassurance about her condition.
“I’m a bit hoarse, but all is good,” she told her social media followers.
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The judge acknowledged how close she came to missing the performance. “Almost didn’t make it to the desk last night,” she posted on Instagram.
The experience has motivated Ms Ballas to acquire potentially life-saving skills. She has pledged to study the Heimlich manoeuvre technique, which uses abdominal thrusts to clear blocked airways.
“I’m going to study now in case I ever come across anybody who needs my help,” she announced.
This latest health scare follows previous medical concerns judge. Earlier this year, Ms Ballas faced a cancer scare after discovering lumpy tissue in her left breast.
Medical professionals conducted three biopsies and a mammogram before giving her the all-clear. The experience left her deeply shaken and affected her professional life.
“It’s been terrifying, to have the needle go in your body to numb it before the biopsy. I feel very emotional,” she told The Sun at the time.
The judge admitted the ordeal had impacted her work performance. “I’m not the same at work at the moment, so I’m teaching, but it’s constantly on my mind,” she revealed.
Ms Ballas expressed concern that she had “worked myself to death” during the worrying period.
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