Very often the acts that we love the most on Britain’s Got Talent are the ones that defy the odds, and that’s exactly what dance group MerseyGirls did! Made up of 5 friends from Merseyside, Julia, Annie, Alice, Rebecca, and Poppy met when they were 5 years old. But the reason they originally appeared on Britain’s Got Talent was because the lead dancer, Julia, had scoliosis and wanted to dance one last time before having fusion surgery that would mean she could never dance again.
The following performance was as emotional as it was heartwarming and resulted in a Golden Buzzer from Judge Alesha Dixon. ‘I thought it was the last time I was gonna be able to dance,’ Julia said, but she was wrong! Simon Cowell was so moved by Julia’s story that he personally paid for a surgery in the USA that would allow her to dance again! And it was thanks to this surgery that they could have an emotional reunion on Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions.
To see Julia shine on the stage is nothing short of inspirational. They danced to ‘Scars to Your Beautiful’ by Alessia Cara, and it’s difficult to hold back tears when watching Julia dance and backflip around the stage like nothing ever happened. Judge David Walliams commented on how emotional it was to watch, whilst Alesha Dixon said ‘If I had another Golden Buzzer I would have pressed it again!’ and Amanda Holden gushed, ‘You’re a miracle!’
It was Simon’s comments, however, that were the most anticipated. Visibly choked up he said, ‘It’s one person’s strength and beyond that, it’s the friendship and the support … it’s everything.’ MerseyGirls ultimately finished in the bottom seven of the competition, but this was not the last that we saw of them! In 2020, the MerseyGirls returned to the Britain’s Got Talent stage for Britain’s Got Talent: Christmas Special alongside singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
As Calum performed his song ‘You Are The Reason’, the MerseyGirls showcased yet another dazzling dance routine that ended with Julia standing on a throne with the other girls standing around her.
Since Britain’s Got Talent, the girls have continued to dance together and also teach dance classes to budding young dancers, whilst also pursuing projects alone. Alice starred as Jill in a pantomime production of Jack and the Beanstalk, whilst Julia has also pursued an acting career, voicing Mary-Jane Watson in the short ‘Spider-Gwen’ and also portraying Kayden Ferguson in four episodes of the television show ‘Tin Star’.
Their time with the Britain’s Got Talent franchise, however, is far from over! It was recently announced that the MerseyGirls will be appearing in America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League, where judges will draft their ultimate lineup of 40 acts from across the entire franchise to compete in what will no doubt be an unforgettable season. If you would like to see more from The MerseyGirls, you can follow them on Facebook or Instagram.