Strictly’s Shirley Ballas: Talking about suicide might have saved my big brother

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Strictly Come Dancing star Shirley Ballas has urged people to “be vigilant and ask more questions” of loved ones, after reflecting on the “preventable” suicide of her brother. “There was a little bit of depression, and there was a little bit of anxiety, and there was that feeling once or twice he told me ‘Why am I here?’ “But I just said ‘Come on, Dave, you’re fine.’ “I had grown up with a strong, stoic human being, and was totally uneducated myself, so I didn’t pick them up.” She added: “I only wish that this kind of campaign would have been around 20 years ago. But I really feel if I’d have had the education, if David would have gotten more help … I truly believe that he would be with us today.” It comes as a YouGov poll found that 61% of respondents said they would struggle to tell if someone they knew felt suicidal, while 51% said they would not feel confident about helping someone at risk of suicide. Calm chief executive Simon Gunning said: “We have seen again and again people’s shock when their loved ones take their own life – it’s often a bolt from the blue, it’s rarely something anyone predicted.