Shirley Ballas needs checks on all her organs

Shirley Ballas needs scans on all her organs after doctors found she has the "highest testosterone levels they have seen in a woman".

The 'Strictly Come Dancing' judge sought medical advice after worried fans contacted her about a lump on her armpit they had spotted on screen, and she admitted her doctor is "mortified" by a set of recent rest results so she needs to undergo "urgent" further studies to check the damage the male hormone could be causing.

She said: "My NHS doctor is very good, so the fact that she is concerned makes me concerned — and she was mortified by my results.

“She said I have the highest testosterone levels she’s ever seen in a woman, and testosterone can wreak havoc on the female organs.

"So she’s requested an urgent scan of all of my organs at King’s College, London.

“She won’t speculate on what the cause is. She just says, ‘We need to deal with this. Let’s deal with the hormones and then see what else is there’.

“So I’ll have the scans and then I’ll be able to let everyone know what’s going on.”

Although doctors were unable to find a lump, Shirley admitted she's had other worrying symptoms for months.

She said: “There have been a few questions I just haven’t been able to figure out recently.

"Why can’t I keep my weight under control? Why I am tired all the time and yet I can’t sleep?

“On some mornings I get up and just want to go back to bed. Everything seems a challenge.

“I said to my counsellor in one session, ‘I feel like I’m this happy person, but behind me there is another person who is struggling’."

The 61-year-old dance expert has tried to put on a brave face but admitted she feels "dark and lonely" when she's on her own.

She told The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “I try to not to focus on that (health worries) because it’s easy for me to go down a dark route.

“I don’t have enough information yet, so I just keep trundling forward.

“That’s how I coped when I had my last cancer scare — it comes from my mum, who is very stoic about everything.

“I’ve learned through having counselling that I have a very strong ‘on’ button, so if I suddenly have to do something on TV I can do it. I’m trained to do that.

“But when the lights go down, and it’s ‘Where is that off button?’ I do feel a little bit dark and lonely, and I do tend to worry.

"So for me it’s a case of keep busy, keep busy, keep moving."

Shirley is very grateful for the support of fans.

She said: "I’m speaking out now because I’m just so grateful to the fans who messaged me with their concerns.

“If I hadn’t checked out that lump, this wouldn’t have come to light and I’d have just carried on as I was — putting on a smiling mask, and underneath not feeling great.

“With a warm heart and sincere gratitude, I want to thank each and every one of them for caring enough to send the messages, for taking up their precious time to be concerned about my health.

“Since I posted on Instagram about what was going on, I’ve also received thousands of supportive messages, which I am so grateful for and do appreciate.

"It’s wonderful to feel so cared about by the public.”