Strictly trainer's first haircut since stroke a 'nice distraction'

The husband of a renowned ballroom dancer who needs 24/7 care after suffering a stroke said her first trip to the hairdressers since she fell ill had been a welcome "distraction".

Jane Bullock, who coached professionals for the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, collapsed at her Wolverhampton home on 10 August 2025, after she finished teaching a class.

As a result, the once fit and healthy dancer lost half her sight and all the movement on the left side of her body, meaning she is often restricted to her bed.

Her husband Warren said her life had "completely changed" and it had been a difficult time for both of them.

Speaking from her bed, Jane said: "Someone said to me it's like you need a light switch in your head and you need to press the light switch to activate all the nerves, all the wires, and link them all back together again.

"Because all the wires in my head are broken."

Warren added: "She was on life support for most of the month and a ventilator. I thought she was going to die."

That was until he realised his wife was using what little mobility she had left in her hand to spell out the words "I love you" on the palm of his hand.

After eight months, Jane returned back to her home with Warren, but the 24 hour care came as a shock to her husband.

"I didn't realise the amount of work it would be, because some nights we'd get no sleep at all," he explained.

"It's affected the way she goes to the toilet, it's affected her bladder and her bowels.

"She's also had Crohn's disease and that has been a challenge - some nights we can be up every hour of the night and that means no sleep.

"It's difficult and it's also helping her to eat, helping her to drink - it's relentless."

Warren, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, said Jane was someone who took pride in her appearance, so last month he decided to help her dye her hair.

"I've probably not done a brilliant job," he admitted, "but I went for it."

He then took her to Wow Hair in Wolverhampton, realising taking her out of the house was a "bit of a distraction for her".

"It was just to try and make her feel a bit like she used to, just to give her a bit of a lift," Warren said.

"She's always been very fashionable and takes a lot of care over her appearance. I just wanted to make her feel nice, really."

Warren said he always tried to be "positive", adding that he often took comfort in cuddling their dogs.

"Jane's in a hospital bed, with rails on the side," Warren said, "so you can't really even cuddle properly, not like the way we did before.

"It has been really hard, but not as hard as it has been for her."

The couple have run ZigZag Dance Factory at their home for more than 30 years and both of them starred in the Netflix reality series Baby Ballroom.

But Warren said he could be forced to sell their home as a "last resort" due to the amount of money it costs for Jane's care.

Jane has five physio sessions every week, two from the NHS and Warren said he paid for a further three, while the carers cost £1,640 per week.

He set up a Go Fund Me page in June, which has so far raised more than £71,000 in donations towards paying for Jane's care.

"Nobody's got a spare £2,000-a-week coming in... and there's just no way I could cope on my own," Warren added.

He said he was "genuinely shocked" and "incredibly grateful" for the donations, which had come in from across the world.

But he has urged the government to "sit up and think".

"The government doesn't have enough money to pay for care like this for everybody that needs it," Warren said.

"Then there has to be some bigger contrition to that government fund because who knows who's going to need it."

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