From Dance Floors to Care Floors: A Strictly Trainer's Heartbreaking Stroke Journey

Jane Bullock is a well-known ballroom dancer from Wolverhampton, England. Along with her husband Warren, she has run the ZigZag Dance Factory for more than 30 years. Their dance school is famous and attracts students from all over the world. Jane and Warren have also appeared on the Netflix reality show Baby Ballroom, and they have trained professionals who have danced on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing With the Stars. Their lives were filled with dance, travel, and teaching others.

However, everything changed for Jane on August 10, 2025. After teaching a dance class, she was doing chores at home when she suddenly collapsed. Warren saw her fall and realized she was having a stroke. Jane could only move one arm and one leg, and her mouth was drooping. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors found a large blood clot in her carotid artery, which supplies blood to the brain. Jane had to have emergency surgery, and part of her skull was removed to relieve pressure on her brain. She spent a month on life support and could not speak or open her eyes at first.

Jane has now been in the hospital for over seven months. She is still paralyzed on her left side and has trouble with simple tasks like telling the time or using a remote control. Jane feels very depressed because her life has changed so much. Warren is trying to support her, but it is difficult. Their daughters live far away, and professional care is very expensive. Warren is making changes to their home so Jane can return, but he worries about how they will manage. Many people have donated money to help them, but it is still a struggle. Warren says Jane was always healthy and did not deserve this. He is determined to make her life as happy and meaningful as possible, even though things are very different now.