A former Britain’s Got Talent star has said she had to have therapy after appearing on the ITV talent show.
Hollie Steel moved judges to tears during her audition back in 2009 and went on to reach the finals, losing out on the winning spot to dance group, Diversity.
But the then 10-year-old claims was given no support after having a panic attack on the show during a performance of Edelweiss during the semi-finals.
Fearing she had “messed up” her chances, the youngster was inconsolable and broke down in tears on stage.
However, she was put through to the finals after judge Simon Cowell allow her to start again and later called her the “bravest girl in the world”.
Now 24, Hollie has gone to release three albums and starred in West End shows like Grease, where she appeared as pink-haired character Frenchy.
In a new interview with The Sun, the Lancashire-born musical star shared she is still haunted by that BGT moment every time she walks on a stage.
She said: “I know I have a lot of trauma, even from 14 years ago. When I get on stage, sometimes I go back to that moment when I’m on TV and I’m about to have a panic attack.
“I’ve done a lot of therapy and counselling where I’m just like, ‘You need to breathe, you need to relax. You’re enjoying this. You’re fine’.
“I really had to delve deep to accept the panic attacks for what they are and just keep going through it all.”
Hollie’s experience on the show sparked a national debate over whether children should be allowed to audition for talent shows.
Late TV legend Bruce Forsyth even waded in saying: “To put little children through that kind of ordeal I think is wrong.
“Some poor little girl was crying her eyes out on there. I don’t think that’s entertainment.”
At the time Hollie, keen to further her career, disagreed with Bruce and is still thankful to the show for giving her lots of opportunities.
But with hindsight, she says there should be more laws about kids appearing on TV shows today.
Hollie revealed she was given no support when she appeared on the show or landed a record deal with Syco afterwards, despite her young age.
She recalled six months after the show ended she was signed to Simon Cowell’s record label and “wasn’t really allowed to do anything but what they said”.
She added she didn’t know what the process was now – as mental health is openly talked about a lot more – but she hoped it had improved.
“There needs to be a better way of supporting those kids because it does affect you mentally as you grow,” Hollie added.
A Britain’s Got Talent Spokesperson told the Mirror that 'duty of care to our contestants is of the utmost importance to us."
They added: "We take the welfare of anyone involved in our programmes extremely seriously and have thorough and robust measures in place to ensure everyone feels supported. These measures are under constant review and are adaptable to reflect the unique requirements for each series.”
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