Strictly's Shirley Ballas, 64, unveils ageless figure as she braves ice bath ahead of first live show

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has shared a glimpse at how she preps for the first live show of the series - by taking a dip in an ice bath

Shirley Ballas has flaunted her stunning physique as she braved a chilly ice bath ahead of Saturday's first Strictly live show.

The 64-year-old TV judge took to Instagram to share a video of herself diving into an ice bath, donning a vibrant yellow swimsuit. Her chic swimsuit accentuated her slim figure, featuring a scoop neckline and a low-back design.

She confessed that when she initially began cold water therapy, she could only withstand a temperature of six degrees, but now her body has acclimated to the icy temperature of just three degrees.

In the video, she stated: "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. Oh, that's a lot of breathing' as she bravely dipped herself into the plunge pool. 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 jokingly added: "Strength in the mind' before taking a deep breath as she built up the courage to go completely underwater in the freezing ice bath."

This Saturday, all fifteen couples will take to the dance floor for the first time, hoping to impress the judges, following last week's reveal of the pairings. However, the 20th-anniversary series of Strictly has been somewhat marred after the BBC show found itself at the centre of scandal in a year riddled with controversy.

Strictly has faced claims about what it's apparently been like behind the scenes in previous years. Amid the controversy, the BBC announced in July that it was introducing "additional steps to strengthen welfare and support" on the show moving forward. They are said to include now having a production team member present during training room rehearsals "at all times".

In recent, there have been a string of allegations made against Graziano Di Prima over his interactions with Zara McDermott during rehearsals for the programme. The Italian professional dancer admitted to kicking her during a rehearsal but denied spitting at her.

Giovanni Pernice is also under investigation following Amanda Abbington's complaints about his 'militant' training techniques. She blasted him as 'abusive, cruel and mean'. She claims she was left suffering from PTSD after pulling out of the show, stating 'I should never ever have danced with him'. He vehemently denied the claims.

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