Shirley Ballas says she ‘couldn’t breathe’ after choking on fish bone before Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas said she “couldn’t breathe” for 20 minutes after swallowing a fish bone ahead of a live show in Blackpool on Saturday.

Posting about the “terrible” ordeal on Instagram, the show’s head judge said: “I really thought it was.”

She praised hair and makeup artist Jane Green for being ready, willing and able to perform the Heimlich maneuver to clear the blockage.

“I’ve choked on fish bones before,” Ballas said. “It got stuck in my throat and my wonderful Jane, who’s been with me for nine years, did the Heimlich maneuver and we took the bone out. But it was stuck there for 20 minutes and I couldn’t breathe, so it was pretty scary.”

He joked that if it weren’t for him, Strictly would have dominated tonight.

Ballas continued: “I’m grateful to Jane because I panicked. I really thought this was the end, amen.”

The 65-year-old Liverpudlian dancer and TV personality wrote in a separate post: “I almost couldn’t reach the table last night, my fishbone got stuck.”

In a later post, she updated her followers by saying she was “a little hoarse but everything is fine.”

He also promised to learn how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, which involves applying pressure to the abdominal area from behind, “in case I encounter someone who needs my help.”

Ballas took over the position of head judge of the celebrity dance competition from Len Goodman in 2017.

In cases of severe drowning, the NHS recommends: – the person cannot relieve the blockage on their own if they cannot breathe, speak and/or cough – a helper should apply five sharp blows from behind between the shoulders (for everyone over one year of age).

If the blockage doesn’t clear, the NHS says the helper should try putting pressure on the abdomen. He suggests:

• Stand behind the drowning person
• Place your arms around their waist and bend them forward well
• Clench one fist and place it just above the person’s belly button
• Place your other hand on top of your fist and pull sharply in and up.
• Repeat this up to five times

BBC News health correspondent Michelle Roberts said people who found themselves choking in a manner similar to Ballas should seek urgent medical attention.

“A fishbone in the airways causing breathing problems is an emergency,” he said.

“Sometimes a bone can become stuck in the throat or esophagus. A doctor will be able to assess whether the bone will pass on its own or if treatment is needed to remove it.

“They can scan and recommend removal under anesthesia.”