Britain’s Got Talent Finalist Reveals Simon Cowell Has Paid For Her Surgery

Viewers were incredibly moved when dancing group Mersey Girls came onto the Britain's Got Talent stage. While their performance was brilliant, it was dancer Julia Carlile's story which touched everyone.

Julia suffers from scoliosis, which is a curvature of the spine, and going on BGT was her last chance at stardom before she underwent an operation that could have stopped her from dancing ever again. They were hoping to take out the grand final prize of £250,000 ($327,500), to help pay for the surgery but unfortunately, they came in ninth place.

Credit: ITV

But it's now been confirmed that judge Simon Cowell has footed the bill.

Julia has told the Liverpool Echo: "Simon came and spoke to us back stage. Just walking off stage and he said he was paying for it and I couldn't believe it.

"I'm beyond happy and it means we can carry on dancing together for the rest of our lives. He didn't have to do it and he has changed my life. There are no words to thank him for how grateful we are. It's just unbelievable."

Her mum Kate also told the newspaper: "It's the first time Julia has had any kind of hope about being able to dance in the future.

"We are in a very privileged position because of Simon."

The Mersey Girls had their last performance with Julia at the Formby Festival on Sunday, before the youngster flies to America with her family for the big operation.

It's understood the surgery costs a whopping £175,000 ($229,000), and was offered it on the NHS, but that procedure involved fusing the spine with metal rods to correct the curvature. That option would have left her with little flexibility and no future with dancing.

Simon hinted towards the end of the show that he would help pay for the operation telling the group: "You know when we met, when we did the auditions...I was thinking, I think there's a reason why you came on this year, because I promise you this: whatever happens, we'll make sure you're in a great place.

"I promise you."

And it appears that he's followed through with that. Good on him.

Featured Image Credit: ITV

Topics: Britain's Got Talent, Simon Cowell

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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