SHIRLEY BALLAS

FLYING HIGH IN CHARITY CHALLENGE

Her seat on the Strictly Come Dancing judging panel is secure, but for Shirley Ballas, the future was very much up in the air last week – 700ft up, to be precise.

Shirley, 62, got all tens for daring and the ultimate lift with her wing walk (right) in the skies above Kent, cheered on by partner Danny Taylor.

It followed her quickstep on the world’s fastest zipline, zooming more than 500 yards over Penrhyn Quarry in Wales at 100mph, the first of three Skyathlon charity challenges.

Despite being “terrified” of heights, the dancer took to the air in her role as an ambassador for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm) to raise money and awareness of its work around suicide prevention. “I’m doing this for my brother [David], who took his own life 20 years ago,”

she said. Sharing photos and video clips on Instagram, Shirley (left, holding photos of her brother ahead of her wing walk) wrote after her zippy exploits: “For all the loved ones we lost. Thank you big brother David for carrying me today.”

She was looking ahead to her final bit of high spirits, a 15,000ft skydive. “I didn’t want to bake a cake or cut grass,” she said. “I wanted to do something challenging.”

KATYA AND AIMEE

GREAT MATES SAY STRICTLY SUSTAINABLE IS THE WAY TO SHOP

Their close bond was made to last, so when sustainability queen Katya Jones was approached to take part in a campaign encouraging people to donate p r eloved clothing to be resold by Cancer Research, she was delighted to have her best friend Aimee Fuller on board.