Shirley Ballas’ ex-fiance Danny Taylor pictured arm-in-arm with mystery woman at Linda Nolan’s funeral following split
Danny Taylor, former fiancé of Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas, was seen attending Linda Nolan’s funeral in Blackpool on Saturday accompanied by a mystery redheaded woman.
The appearance comes just two months after Taylor’s split from Ballas in November, following their six-year relationship.
The 51-year-old actor arrived at St Paul’s Church looking sombre as he paid his respects to Linda, who passed away on January 15 aged 65.
Taylor, who previously worked with Linda in a West End production of Blood Brothers, was dressed sharply in a black suit as he joined other mourners at the service.
The funeral was held at the same church where Linda married her late husband Brian Hudson in 1981, with celebrity guests including her sisters Coleen, Anne, Maureen, and Denise Nolan in attendance.
Taylor’s unidentified companion cut a glamorous figure in a fur-trimmed black coat, paired with black heels and a leopard print handbag in pictures shared by The Sun.
The pair were seen linking arms as they entered the church together, with the mystery woman offering emotional support to Taylor throughout the service.
They kept a low profile as they arrived at St Paul’s Church where Linda’s glittery pink coffin was brought in by pallbearers.
The couple leaned on each other for support before joining other mourners, including entertainment figures Paul Chuckle, Shane Ritchie, Charlotte Dawson, and Tommy Cannon.
Following the news of Linda’s passing, Taylor shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, describing her as his “dear showbiz mam and friend who like many I absolutely loved and adored.”
In his emotional post, he praised Linda as “an absolute force of nature” who made the role of Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers “brilliantly her own.”
Taylor wrote: “Feisty, loyal, funny, inspirational and much more with bigger balls than any fella I’ve ever known.”
He concluded his tribute by acknowledging Linda’s reunion with her loved ones: “One in a million but at least your back with your beloved Brian and of course Bernie. Thank you for being there xxxx Love and miss you already.” (sic)
The touching message highlighted the close bond formed between the pair during their time working together in theatre.
Taylor’s appearance at the funeral comes weeks after Ballas opened up about their split on the Great Company podcast with Jamie Laing.
The Strictly head judge, 64, admitted her love life is currently “a disaster” following the end of their relationship.
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“What turns me off is a liar, somebody who says they’ll be there and isn’t,” Ballas revealed on the podcast.
A source told The Sun that distance played a significant role in the breakdown of their relationship, with Ballas living in London while Taylor remained based in Liverpool.
The couple, who met during a pantomime production of Jack and The Beanstalk in late 2018, had become engaged in 2021 before Ballas “changed her mind” about marriage.
The twice-married, four-times engaged Strictly star has now declared that the true loves of her life are her son Mark, 38, and her 87-year-old mother Audrey.