Strictly’s Shirley Ballas, 64, reveals secret eating tip that keeps her at a perfect size

THERE aren’t many women over the age of 60 who are a perfect size 10.

Time and the laws of metabolism all too often conspire to see us pile on the pounds.

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But at 64, Shirley Ballas is one of those fortunate few.

Her secret, she says, is simple — only having one meal a day.

According to the Stricty Come Dancing judge, it is impossible to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner once you hit the big Six-O.

“The first year on the Strictly Come Dancing tour, I gained ten pounds just in that one month,” she says.

“Then I realised you cannot eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, Shirley, you are over the age of 60!

“I had oversized portions and three meals per day, plus all the treats that go with it.”

Thinking something had to be done, she ditched breakfast and lunch.

All she eats now is dinner. A nice dinner, for sure, with a decent portion of rice alongside her lean chicken or beef.

But that’s pretty much her lot, apart from juices.

“I do intermittent fasting,” says Shirley, who confirmed her split from fiancé Danny Taylor, 51, in December.

“I’ve realised the body doesn’t need as much food as I keep stuffing in my face, so I do take care of it.

“I don’t have anything in the morning and normally around lunch I’ll have a juice, and then about 4 or 5pm my mother does a lovely meal.

“She’s been making sticky rice because she’s bought me a rice machine for Christmas, so we’re all trying sticky rice with beef stroganoff or with chicken.

“It’s a welcome change to the salads.”

I’ve realised the body doesn’t need as much food as I keep stuffing in my face, so I do take care of it

Shirley Ballas

Intermittent fasting, also known as 18-6 fasting, has become an increasingly popular way to lose weight and keep it off.

The slowing of metabolism and an increase in fat mass and hormonal changes make weight gain inevitable for many women as they get older. Shirley’s intermittent fasting means she is allowed to eat during one six-hour window each day.

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This rule makes it much easier to restrict calorie intake, with the 18-hour break reportedly giving the body time to burn fat.

Celeb fans of the regime include Friends star Jennifer Aniston and actor Hugh Jackman.

And last year TV presenter Carol Vorderman revealed she also skips meals, saying: “I generally have one meal a day — late afternoon.”

It certainly sounds simple enough, but that does not necessarily mean it is easy.

It takes rock solid discipline and determination — qualities not lacking in Shirley.

Her one-meal-a-day regimen clearly works for her. She looks great, whether that’s in a slinky evening dress on Strictly, or a smart trouser suit.

Her role model is her mum, Audrey, 87, who lives with her in London.

‘Teaspoon of brandy’

Audrey is still as slim as a rod and Shirley follows her example.

“My mum only weighs 8st and weighs herself every morning,” she has said previously. “If she puts on a pound, she gets that pound off. She eats because she needs a bit of fuel and doesn’t overindulge.

“That’s the way I am and I don’t see it changing. I’m a size 10 and when I first joined Strictly, I dropped to a size 6, but that wasn’t maintainable.”

Despite her strict regime, she revealed last year that she does allow herself one little treat a day.

“One cup of coffee a day, in a china cup,” she said.

“A teaspoon of brandy in it, Coffee Mate and two brown sugars. That is the highlight of my day.”

It sounds very Shirley, very ladylike. And she allows herself an occasional sweet treat.

“I’m prone to having a little cake here and there, which I love,” said the twice-married star.

Once you get over 40 then I think it’s difficult, I can’t talk for anybody else, but for me it was difficult, so I’m quite vigilant about what I put in my mouth

You’d think being away from home and on the current Strictly live tour might scupper Shirley’s rigid regime, but no. She and fellow judge Motsi Mabuse are making sure they get their five-a-day by juicing.

“Motsi and I are sharing a changing room on the tour, so that’s marvellous,” says Shirely.

“On tour, I’ll have two juices a day, and Motsi is going to join in, and we’ll try to go to the gym when we can. You do lose weight by juicing.”

 Shirley’s battle to stay in shape did not begin at 60, though. She’s been watching her waistline since she was 40.

“Once you get over 40 then I think it’s difficult,” she says. “I can’t talk for anybody else, but for me it was difficult, so I’m quite vigilant about what I put in my mouth.”

Shirley has been disciplined all her life. Her training as a professional dancer — she is known as the Queenof Latin and has won multiple awards during her career — instilled her with strict discipline from a young age.

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When she’s not teaching dancing, she practises yoga and gets on her Peloton bike. She even takes ice baths to put a zip into the start of her day.

She’s careful to look after her skin too, and is a big fan of NeoGen, a non-surgical treatment said to boost collagen production.

“I do my NeoGen treatments, which tighten the skin, and I don’t think I look bad for 64,” says Shirley, laughing.

“The last time I went to see my doctor who did my boobs, I went to talk to him about my facelift and he told me to come back to him when I was 65.

"I’m looking at my neck thinking that could do with a little bit of a nip and tuck. I’ve had no facelifts or nips and tucks.”

Despite approaching 65, Shirley lives life at breakneck speed.

She flies to California to visit her dancer son Mark, 38, and grandson Banksi whenever she can.

And this week, she can be seen in the Costa Rican jungle in new Netflix reality show Celebrity Bear Hunt, hosted by Holly Willoughby.

When you have to hang around waiting for divas, that doesn’t work well with me

She is the oldest of the 12 celebrities taking part, which include model Lottie Moss, Spice Girl Mel B, former rugby player Danny Cipriani and ex-Saturdays star Una Healy. They have to escape being hunted down by action man Bear Grylls.

But Shirley, who Bear described as “steely” and “laser-focused”, was unimpressed by one of her co-stars’ lack of discipline.

“There’s always somebody in a group that thinks they’re more entitled than the rest,” she said last month.

“If they tell me my bus will be ready at 9am, then I’m there at quarter to nine.

“When you have to hang around waiting for divas, that doesn’t work well with me.”

At least the experience gave her plenty of opportunities for fasting.

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• Shirley is promoting online bingo community WhichBingo, .