Shirley Ballas, 66, 'growing close' to dancer Giuseppe Nonnis has 'surprised' his mother, 56, after he split from his 'life partner' of five years

Suggestions that Strictly judge Shirley Ballas has begun dating handsome Italian dancer Giuseppe Nonnis have surprised many, perhaps because of the 30-year age gap between them.

But no one was more surprised by claims of a romance than the dancer's mother – who is ten years younger than her son's apparent new girlfriend.

Shirley, 66, and Giuseppe, 36, were spotted on a loved-up dog walk over the weekend, where they appeared close as he put his arm on her back while queuing for a cafe.

And Giuseppe's mother Franca Nonnis admitted she had been shocked to hear claims of a budding relationship between her son and the TV star.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, from her home in Cagliari, Sardinia, she said: 'Shirley is teaching Giuseppe, she's an excellent teacher, one of the best and my son is her student.'

She explained that her son had recently broken up with a longtime girlfriend which had left him 'heartbroken'.

'That's why I would be surprised if he was already in another relationship but if he is happy then I am happy. I just don't think he's ready yet for another relationship,' Ms Nonnis, 56, said.

'Giuseppe is a very loveable and sociable person, he is sweet with everyone and if he was being friendly and if he is being close with Shirley then I'm sure it's just that, friendship and nothing more.'

She added: 'Everyone has heard of Shirley, and she was at his studio in Hong Kong in the summer - he flies between there and Europe all the time. I don't know where he is from one minute to the next.

Giuseppe Nonnis pictured with his ex-girlfriend Ukrainian dancer Daria Chesnokova who he was said to be 'heartbroken' over following their split last September

Giuseppe's mother Franca (left) told the Daily Mail she is 'surprised' by his relationship with Shirley Ballas and claimed she doesn't think he is ready to meet someone else

'He's lived abroad for more than 12 years so I don't see him very often unless he is in Europe visiting.'

The breakup that caused Ms Nonnis to be surprised that her son may be ready to start dating again had been from Giuseppe's previous girlfriend, Ukrainian dancer Daria Chesnokova.

Giuseppe had described Daria as his 'life partner' but their five-year relationship ended last September.

Ms Nonnis went on: 'He's not mentioned a relationship, and he's not told me about one, but he only just finished with his girlfriend Daria a year ago and he was very upset when that ended,' his mother said.

'He was heartbroken, they had been together for a long time, I met her when they came to Sardinia but they split up as sometimes happens, and these longtime affairs of the heart take a long time to get over when they end.'

But it's understood that since the split he has grown increasingly close to the 66-year-old Strictly Come Dancing judge.

The dancer, who grew up in Cagliari and lives in Hong Kong, said he had looked up to Shirley since he was a small child, and their relationship has blossomed after dancing together in Hong Kong and Blackpool earlier this year.

Shirley, whose son Mark is just four years older than Giuseppe, has been single since 2024 when she split from fiancé Danny Taylor, 53, after six years together.

Before that she was married twice – to fellow professional dancers Sammy Stopford and Corky Ballas.

Giuseppe, 36, and the Strictly Come Dancing star, 66, have grown increasingly close after dancing together in Hong Kong and Blackpool earlier this year

Meanwhile, Giuseppe was in a relationship with Latin dancer Daria until last September.

The former couple, who described themselves as both dance and life partners, split after five years.

They began dancing together in June 2021 and first competed in Blackpool in August 2021 before touring across the world.

Last March, Giuseppe gushed about Daria, describing her as 'my woman' and posting about his love for her on social media.

He wrote: 'Happy Women's Day to all the women in the world but especially to MY Woman. You came into my life so unexpectedly and now you became the biggest part of it.

'Thank you for teaching me resilience, to never give up and to see always the positive side in everything, doesn't matter what.

'I feel blessed to have met you in my path and to share it with you. Ti amo.'

A year earlier he described their relationship as 'the best four years of my life', adding: 'Thank you amore [for bringing] so much love into my life.'

He said she was the 'most precious, beautiful, hard work, stubborn, creature that I ever knew.

'I only wish you what you desire the most, you truly deserve all. It will never be enough for me to say Thank You, because you are my best present every single day and there's only one happiness in life; to love and to be loved.'

But months later they announced their split after 'five unforgettable years'.

Daria wrote: After five unforgettable years, my partnership with Giuseppe has come to an end.

'I am deeply grateful for all we shared - the memories, the growth, and the experiences we created both on and off the floor.

'This chapter holds countless moments and achievements I will always treasure, and I am truly thankful to our teachers, family, sponsors, and everyone who supported us throughout this journey.

'Now, I look ahead with gratitude, courage, and excitement for what's to come.'

Shirley was seen dancing with Giuseppe at a masterclass earlier this year 

She has also shown support for him on social media, commenting flame and heart emojis on some of his public posts

Giuseppe admitted 'it's never easy to close a chapter that's meant so much to me'.

But months later he struck up a close relationship with Shirley.

The pair danced together during the We've Danced Through The Century lectures at the Blackpool Dance Festival in May, which Giuseppe described as an 'honour'.

And they were paired in Hong Kong at the Dorin & Marina Hong Kong The Camp Cha Cha Lecture in July.

Following their performance, Giuseppe wrote: 'Dear Shirley. The gratitude is all mine, from a small child, looking up to you as one of my favourite dancers of all the time to partnering you is for me a huge honour. So, thank you for that.'

The Strictly judge replied: 'You're most welcome. So lovely to dance with, and patient during practice lol. Thank you and with gratitude.'

And this month Giuseppe was seen at her birthday party at Mamma Mia! The Party at the O2 in London and later driving her Porsche.

They have also left a string of fond messages on each other's social media.

Giuseppe grew up in Cagliari with two sisters and began dancing aged seven. He said he tried many other sports including football, which his father hoped he would play, but he chose dancing as it was more glamorous.

He was crowned Italian champion and reached the dancing world championship finals at youth level. He has lived in Hong Kong since 2014 and teaches across Asia.

Shirley previously said 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.'

Shirley, whose son Mark (pictured) is just four years older than Giuseppe

Shirley has been single since 2024 when she split from her fiancé Danny Taylor, 53, after six years together (pictured in 2022)

In April she said she had no interest in dating, after her ex Danny did some 'quite unforgivable things'.

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'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.