“Dancing With the Stars” pro Mark Ballas owes his successful dance career to his world-renowned parents, Corky and Shirley Ballas. However, they never let him have an easy ride just because they were his parents.
As “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” continues, fans are getting a unique chance to see Mark and Shirley Ballas judge contestants side by side. Though Shirley maintains her role as head judge on “Strictly Come Dancing” in the UK, many fans have expressed interest in seeing her join DWTS.
In a new interview, Mark Ballas reveals exactly what would happen if his mother served as his judge on television.
Mark Ballas Admits His Mother Can Be His Harshest Critic
As much as fans love seeing Mark and Shirley Ballas serve as co-judges on “The Next Pro,” some have expressed concern about her serving as his judge on “Dancing With the Stars.” However, Mark Ballas insists that isn’t anything fans need to worry about.
“It’s not all motherly love when #MarkBallas’ mom is on #DWTS. 😂 The star, who is back on Broadway starring in Chicago through August 16, is opening up about his mom being a judge on the dancing show,” PEOPLE captioned a new interview with Ballas on Instagram.
“She’d be cooking me!” the 40-year-old told the outlet. “My mom is the head judge on ‘Strictly Come Dancing,’ which is ‘Dancing With the Stars’ in England and the UK and all of Great Britain. And my mom, she took over for Len Goodman when he stepped down from the British version. So that should tell you all you need to know right there.”
“So it’s great to see her cross over to America and for fans to see what real, tough love, constructive and knowledgeable feedback is,” the dancer explained.
Overall, fans loved hearing Mark’s opinion. Even though his mother wouldn’t go easy on him, most agreed it would make for excellent television.
“The Ballases shaped the world of dance for decades!! Love them 😍” a fan shared.
“True legends like your mom know how to correct with love,” someone else added.
“So love seeing you together!! Love it when Derek is a judge as well with the three of you!” another viewer wrote.
Shirley Ballas Loves Drawing Excellence Out of Her Students
Though Shirley Ballas can be a tough critic, she’s also created some of the best professional dancers in the competitive ballroom world.
“She’s always cooking me, bro,” Mark Ballas explained to PEOPLE, noting that his mother is never done teaching. “But it’s great, you know, because my mom and I, even though she is my coach and mentor, she is my mother first and we are friends as well.”
The dancer noted that whenever he wants genuine feedback, he always turns to his mother for advice.
“I’m like, ‘Alright, Mom, give it to me straight,'” he added. “She does it in a way that’s firm, it’s direct, and it’s honest.”
New episodes of “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro” air each Monday night at 8 p.m. on ABC. Season 35 begins this fall on the network.
