Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BGT FAVOURITE’S AGONY:
When teenager Julia Carlile pulled off her T-shirt to reveal her dance outfit on Britain’s Got Talent, it was a lifechanging moment for the 15-year-old. Just before her audition in Blackpool with dance group Just Us, now called Merseygirls, Julia made the decision to reveal her painful condition to millions. She suffers from scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, and until that day in front of judges Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and David Walliams, she had always tried to hide her back. Julia revealed to the judges the show is her last chance at stardom because she will soon need an operation that will mean her flexibility is severely reduced. Only winning the competition – and the £250,000 prize – will give her a shot at pioneering treatment in the US that could keep her dancing. Julia says: “I always used to cover up my back and in rehearsals I didn’t really want to take my T-shirt off. But then I got on stage and just did it. I realised I shouldn’t care what people think. Now it doesn’t even cross my mind people might be judging me. It’s the best decision I’ve made.” Julia “feels free” for the first time, and their success (Alesha hit the Golden Buzzer sending them through to this week’s semi-finals) has silenced bullies. She reveals: “A week before our audition, a boy said, ‘You’re never going to make it, you’re never going to dance again.’ But after the audition aired, he admitted, ‘Oh actually you’re so good.’” Julia adds: “People comment and stare, but my friends stand up for me. If I get a mean message I don’t read it. “I hated school because I had to wear a back brace. When my friends gave me hugs they’d say, ‘Oh, what’s that?’ One day my French teacher said, ‘Oh you look bigger’, meaning fat, so I haven’t worn my brace at school since.” Julia has the support of her best friends in the group – her sister Alice, 17, Annie Winstanley, 17, Becky Jordan, 16, and Poppy Gerrard, 15. They have been dancing since they were tots. Originally called Just Us, the
girls, from the Wirral, discovered a dance group of the same name and are now Merseygirls. When they did their routine to Rachel Platten’s No1 Fight Song, with Julia performing backflips, cartwheels and the splits, they got a standing ovation and Cowell predicted big things. The group are pinning their hopes on tonight’s semi-final, knowing the prize for Saturday’s final would fund the revolutionary surgery. The friends have agreed to give her their share. Annie says: “We wanted to give her the money so she can continue dancing, and the group can carry on. She’s inspired others with scoliosis. If we inspire one person we’ll be happy.” Julia has been offered spinal fusion surgery on the NHS, but metal rods to fuse the vertebrae would leave her with little flexibility. While doing research, she discovered vertebral body tethering, where screws are attached along with flexible cord, meaning she could bend. She says: “I knew we couldn’t afford it. My family has saved £4,000 but it’s £78,000, plus airfare. Since the audition, a consultant from America offered to examine my X-rays for free. After two weeks in hospital, the surgery has a six-week recovery period, but the fusion surgery needs six months to a year.” She is terrified of having an operation, saying: “It’s dangerous because it’s connected to the brain. I’ve seen a video of the fusion surgery. It’s scary.” Julia, who lives with mum Kate, 39, an administrator, and dad Chris, 42, a nurse, will need either operation before the end of the year as her spine is crushing her lung. She says: “I’m in a lot of pain. My ribs and hips touch, some movements really hurt. I have to wear my brace in bed and my friends nag me to wear it in the day too.”
She struggles to find clothes as her shoulders are uneven and one hip sticks out. She adds: “I’m only 5ft, I should be taller.” Sister Alice says: “It’s amazing to see her so confident. I’m really proud.” Mum Kate adds: “The kindness of strangers is overwhelming. “We’d written off the tethering operation, and we’re still being realistic. Julia did Britain’s Got Talent to get another experience before her operation, not for the money. “If they did win the operation would mean she could carry on dancing.” Julia adds: “We need to win for all of us to dance together for the rest of our lives. Without one of us, we’re not going to carry on. It’s five or nothing.” Britain’s Got Talent semi-finals continue tonight on ITV, 7.30pm, with the results show at 9.30pm. The final is on Saturday at 7.30pm.