BBC Strictly's Shirley Ballas shows off incredible figure in ice bath after 9lb weight loss in a week
Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has shown off her impressive physique as she took a daring ice bath ahead of Saturday's first live show. The 64 year old posted a video on Instagram of herself plunging into an ice bath, wearing a bright yellow swimsuit.
She admitted that when she first started cold water therapy, she could only handle a temperature of six degrees. But now her body has adjusted to the frosty temperature of just three degrees.
In the video, she said: "So this morning now It's the first day of Strictly. I've done my exercise and I'm about to go in my plunge pool. "In for a dip. Freezing. Breathe then the arms go in.
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"Oh, that's a lot of breathing," she added. "I started at six degrees, I went to four degrees, and today I'm at three degrees so I'm getting colder and colder and colder."
She humorously added: "Strength in the mind." This Saturday, all fifteen couples will hit the dance floor for the first time, aiming to impress the judges, following last week's pairing reveal.
Shirley, who has openly discussed her lifelong struggle with weight and how she lost 9lb in a week through a bootcamp-style routine, revealed that she eats chicken with lemon every day in a bid to stay health. Speaking on the Comfort Eating podcast with Grace Dent last year, Shirley admitted to avoiding the food backstage at Strictly, describing it as "calorie food".
She said: "I like to walk around the table because they have lots of yummy cakes, sweets and biscuits, and they have all sorts of fantastic food, but it definitely is calorie food, because the dancers are dancing all day and are young with fabulous bodies. Nope, I get my chicken from Marks and Spencer or Sainsbury's that has been cooked. They bring me a lot of salad and we might have a little bit of sushi in the afternoon."