LOS ANGELES, October 27, 2026 â Dancing With the Stars is bringing a family twist to Horror Movie Night as British ballroom legend Shirley Ballas joins the judging panel while her son, three-time champion Mark Ballas, competes alongside Maura Higgins.
Shirley, 66, will join Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli for Tuesday’s Halloween-themed episode on ABC and Disney+. Her appearance comes as 10 remaining couples face a double elimination, adding pressure to an already high-stakes night.
Shirley Ballas to Judge Son Mark During Horror Movie Night
Mark and Maura will perform a contemporary routine inspired by the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys, dancing to Gerard McMann’s “Cry Little Sister.”
The pair earned 35 out of 40 points during last week’s Dedication Night. Their next performance will be evaluated by four judges, including Mark’s mother.
ABC has not announced any special scoring arrangements involving their family relationship. Shirley’s scores will contribute to the competition alongside those of the regular judges.
Shirley Ballas’ Journey From Ballroom Champion to Television Judge
Born September 6, 1960, in Wallasey, England, Shirley began dancing at seven and became one of the world’s leading Latin ballroom competitors.
Nicknamed the “Queen of Latin,” she won 10 United States Latin American championships and three British Open to the World Latin titles.
Her Blackpool victories came in 1983 with Sammy Stopford and in 1995 and 1996 with Corky Ballas. She became the first dancer to win the prestigious championship with two different partners.
After retiring from competitive dancing, she built a successful career coaching professional dancers and judging ballroom competitions.
The Family Connection Behind Shirley and Mark Ballas
Mark was born on May 24, 1986, to Shirley and her former husband, professional dancer Corky Ballas. He is Shirley’s only child.
Raised in Houston and London, Mark followed his parents into competitive dancing. He joined Dancing With the Stars in 2007 and has won three Mirrorball Trophies.
Shirley was previously married to Sammy Stopford before marrying Corky Ballas. Both relationships ended in divorce.
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Strictly Come Dancing Career and Previous DWTS Appearance
Shirley became head judge on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, replacing Len Goodman, who previously judged both the British and American dancing competitions.
Her appearance connects the two franchises as the British show also prepares Halloween programming, discussed in the Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Halloween update.
Shirley has already worked within the American franchise. In July 2026, she and Mark judged Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro, helping select Adele Zaikman as a new professional for Season 35.
The mother and son also performed together during the series.
Horror Movie Night Lineup and Double Elimination
All 10 couples advanced from October 20’s Dedication Night without an elimination. Two couples will now leave following Tuesday’s performances.
The Halloween episode features routines inspired by Black Swan, Saw, Sinners, The Omen, Annabelle: Creation and other films.
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov will perform an Argentine tango inspired by Black Swan, while Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa will dance to a theme from The Omen.
Val Chmerkovskiy is also scheduled to return alongside Jenna Dewan after missing the previous episode.
The complete songs, celebrity pairings and movie themes are available in the DWTS Horror Movie Night performance lineup.
Judges’ scores and viewer votes from Dedication Night and Horror Movie Night will be combined to determine the two eliminated couples.
DWTS Horror Movie Night Air Time and Streaming Details
According to ABC’s official announcement, Horror Movie Night airs Tuesday, October 27, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time, or 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Central.
The episode will air on ABC and stream live on Disney+ in local U.S. time zones, with next-day availability on Hulu. Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as hosts.
For Mark and Maura, the immediate challenge is surviving the double elimination. Shirley’s presence adds a rare family connection to a night when every judges’ score could matter.
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