Remember Hollie Steel, the girl who bawled her eyes out on Britain’s Got Talent? You won’t believe what she looks like now
Now 18, she's shrugged off her BGT trauma and is still singing
KIDS really do grow up so fast.
It seems like only yesterday that little Hollie Steel won the nation’s hearts with her unforgettable performance on Britain’s Got Talent – which saw her breaking down in floods of tears midway through her semi-final song.
In fact, it was way back in 2009.
Despite boasting plenty of vocal promise, it was the 10-year-old’s onstage collapse on the show that will always stick in the mind.
Nerves got the better of her during her rendition of Edelweiss, causing her to flee the stage in pieces.
However, she bravely returned for a second attempt – and the judges voted her through to the final, eventually finishing sixth in the competition.
Her obvious distress triggered an impassioned debate about whether children her age are emotionally strong enough to deal with the intense pressure of a TV talent show.
But seven years later, Hollie – now 18 – bears no signs of emotional damage from her experience, beaming in almost every photo on her Instagram page.
Capitalising on her BGT fame, Hollie and her family launched their own label, BB5 Records, and put out her debut self-titled album in 2010.
She followed that up with a Christmas album in 2011 and her second collection, Children On The Titanic, in 2012.
The young singer also performed in her own revue show, Hollie Steel & Friends, which featured songs from West End shows including Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Oliver! and My Fair Lady.
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In 2011, she was also cast in the role of Louisa von Trapp in Andrew Lloyd Webber's UK tour of The Sound Of Music, performing in the show across the country from May to October.
These days, Hollie frequently posts covers of pop songs on her YouTube channel and enjoys gymnastics, dancing and theatre.
Talking about her high-profile stint on BGT, Hollie recently said: “The whole experience made me stronger and made me realise that if you fall you just have to pick yourself back up again.”
