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BGT wasn’t scoliosis dancer’s first try at raising surgery money

Not her first time on the telly!

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Last night viewers were bawling their eyes out when Alesha Dixon pressed the golden buzzer for a dancer suffering with scoliosis.

But we can reveal that this WASN’T the first time that the young dancer has tried her luck at fame to raise money for an operation to give her life-changing surgery.

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Fifteen year old Julia Carlile appeared on the show with four friends – who’d she’d know since she was five – to perform a stunning dance routine to Rachel Platten’s Fight Song.

But before they burst in to action, Julia shared her heartbreaking story that had the audience, judges and audiences sobbing.

“I have scoliosis,” she explained to the audience. “but what I have is very rare because you usually get it from an accident but I was born with it. So I have to have an operation and after that I won’t be able to dance again.”

The talented little Miss says she entered the show to win the £250, 000 that she hopes could help her get the life-changing surgery she needs.

Otherwise she will never be able to dance again.

“If we win I’d hope to fly to America, where I can get another kind of operation – called tethering surgery – that means I could dance for the rest of my life.

“It’s expensive, though, so I can’t afford it right now. We have saved £4,000 and we need $100,000 [just over £78,000].”

After the stunning performance, Alesha couldn’t contain her emotions and told the troupe: “I have so much admiration for you girls right now. I can’t tell you. Just seeing how you’ve all come together with this beautiful friendship you’ve got.

“When you’re passionate about something I could not image not being able to do it again.

“That’s what we all live for. It has really touched me, so much so that I’m going to do this.”

When she pressed the golden buzzer and went to hug the girls on stage, a tearful Julia told her, “Thank you, you’ve made my dreams come true. This is not going to stop me.”

But this is the second time Julia has tried desperately to raise the money.

Last year, she appeared on a CBBC TV show called Taking the Next Step.

In it, young Julia shared her story with the show’s judges John Partridge, Kimberly Wyatt and Simeon Qsyea, who were clearly moved by her plight.

Following her amazing routine to Ella Henderson’s Ghost, the judging panel were left visibly moved.

John said: “You did great. You are brilliant. I would say more if I could but I am bit choked right now. ”

Wiping away her tears, Kimberley added: “You brought me in tears. But you are lucky Julia and this is why.

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“As dancers we get to express and because you are fighting through something so difficult for you, you bring dance to laugh, you make art, because you have something say and that is a beautiful gift.

“Julia, you are amazing and a beautiful dancer and I love the fight.”

Sadly Julia never made it to the final of Taking The Next Step, but tune in to the the BGT live semi finals in a few weeks time to see if she can scoop the life-changing money.


Christian Guiltenane
Freelance Writer

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