Strictly Come Dancing hopeful Molly Rainford is no stranger to the spotlight, having first risen to fame on Britain's Got Talent at the tender age of 11.
But her life could have turned out completely differently if not for Simon Cowell. Molly first met the music mogul when she appeared on the 2012 series of Britain's Got Talent - securing sixth place with her powerhouse vocals.
Impressed, Sony Music and Simon Cowell then awarded her their first ever drama school scholarship to the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School. And the young star has been working hard ever since. Aged 21, the actress and singer has already collaborated with the likes of plan B, and her 2019 EP Commitment has raked in more than two million streams since it was released.
She also stars as the title character in CBBC comedy drama series Nova Jones - proving Simon was right about her star quality.
Determined to focus on her career, before joining the show, Molly initially swore off dating - a move she said went down well with her parents, mum Sarah and dad Dave Rainford, former player and assistant manager of Chelmsford City.
Talking to The Sun, she revealed: "I'm only 21, so I’m not looking for a relationship on Strictly. That's not in the picture right now. I want to focus on my career.
"My parents don't want me to be distracted or worrying about boys just yet. I'm single and don't plan on changing it."
However, she has since been linked to Strictly professional dancer, Nikita Kuzmin.
Ahead of her turn on the ballroom floor, Molly kept her involvement in the show secret from everyone except her grandmother, something the 82-year-old has since admitted to finding difficult.
Speaking to the Mirror, proud gran, Doreen Rainford said: "I was told about her going on Strictly before everyone and I had to keep it quiet, which was very hard – because I’m a gossip. I don’t know how I did, but I did."
The two enjoy a close relationship, as Doreen often used to look after her granddaughter at weekends when Molly’s dad was playing football and her mum was watching from the sidelines.
Now, its Doreen cheering on Molly when she sees her on telly, and she proudly watches Nova Jones every - though she admits she doesn't understand the show.
"I've not got a clue what it's on about," she revealed. "But if she's on telly we watch it."
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