Shirley Ballas once had fat "drained" from her arms and legs in an attempt to boost her self-esteem.
Shirley Ballas on her self-esteem. Picture courtesy of Prima UK/ Dan Kennedy
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' head judge, 61, has "done all sorts" in a bid to make herself feel more confident about her body, noting that she considered breast enhancements for a former husband.
Speaking to Prima magazine - https://www.prima.co.uk - she said: "I have struggled with my self-esteem all my life. I’ve done all sorts to try to make myself feel more confident: I had my teeth straightened and fat drained out of my arms and legs; I thought doing my boobs would make my husband at the time like me more, but I was doing it for the wrong reasons. You have to love yourself first.
"That’s my message to every woman."
On her self-esteem and confidence, Shirley admitted she felt "lonely" when she was attempting to build a career.
She said: "I felt very alone in the past. When I had a career goal, I would build a wall round me as a coping mechanism and as a way of drowning out negative voices.
"I don’t think that’s a very healthy thing to do – it definitely had an effect on both my marriage and my friendships."
The professional dancer - who was has been married twice - went on to speak about how her current relationship with West End star Daniel Taylor, 46, has "changed her life" - although she is waiting for him to pop the question.
She said: "My relationship with Danny has changed my life. He’s very different to anyone I’ve been with before.
"First of all, he’s 6ft 1in, he’s the tallest man I’ve ever dated, and I love his jet black hair.
"He’s also very kind and very caring – he’s always there for me. I hope he’ll propose one day, but he’s never married and I think he’s a bit nervous about it, so we’ll see. Come on, Danny!"
The January issue of Prima is on sale from 2nd December.