Britain’s Got Talent is set to feature a powerful audition from a girl who was injured in the Ariana Grande Manchester Arena bombing last year.

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Alongside her dance troupe, RISE, 13-year-old Hollie Booth will perform in a wheelchair after she was injured in the attack. And in a mark of solidarity, all members of the group will incorporate wheelchairs into their routine, set to a medley of Ariana Grande songs.

Hollie, originally from Sheffield, survived the bomb after her aunt Kelly Brewster shielded her from the blast in May 2017. Kelly was one of the 22 people who were killed in the attack.

“God only knows how she dealt with that at her age, the effect it must still have,” said judge Simon Cowell about the performance. “The fact that she got together with a bunch of friends and did something, more than just an act, it was a statement. It showed that the cowards can’t win and that she overcame it.

“I thought it was respectful, it was one of those moments I will never, ever forget. To come back in front of a theatre, and think about that for a moment after everything she’s been through – and in Manchester – you just have to go, ‘Respect’. I saw the friendship and their bond. I was so happy that they trusted us enough to come on our show. It was a good thing.”

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Britain’s Got Talent returns 8pm, Saturday 21st April, ITV

Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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