BGT child star Hollie Steel who sobbed on stage unrecognisable 16 years later

Hollie Steel captured the hearts of the nation as a fresh-faced 10-year-old on Britain's Got Talent, but has since undergone a dramatic transformation and battled mental health issues

It's been 16 years since Hollie Steel first appeared on Britain's Got Talent, enchanting viewers with her heavenly voice. At the tender age of 10, she was a strong contender to win the show, wowing judges Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden with her performances.

However, during the semi-finals, under the immense pressure of the competition, Hollie experienced a distressing panic attack live on stage. With tears streaming down her face, Simon Cowell made the unprecedented decision to let her restart her performance, which led her to the finals. Despite her talent, she ended up in sixth place, eclipsed by the success of the eventual winners, dance group Diversity.

Since her stint on the show, Hollie has undergone an incredible transformation. Now 26, she has released three albums and performed at prestigious venues like New York's Carnegie Hall. Hollie studied in London for three years, graduating with a Diploma in Musical Theatre in 2017.

She secured the role of Louisa von Trapp in Andrew Lloyd Webber's UK tour of The Sound of Music and has also performed on Caribbean cruise ships, starring as Frenchy in Grease on board Harmony of the Seas. Her talents continue to shine brightly, earning her a dedicated following of over 22,000 on Instagram and 50,000 subscribers on YouTube, reports OK!.

Despite the sparkle of showbiz, Hollie has openly discussed her struggles with PTSD and panic attacks, which she traces back to the distressing episode on Britain's Got Talent. Speaking to The Sun, Hollie shared: "I get this thing where I swallow when I'm nervous, so I started doing that and then I couldn't control it."

She added, "And obviously I didn't have the capacity to gain back control of the panic attack. I was thinking, 'Oh no, it's happened again. Keep going, keep singing. Oh no, Simon [Cowell] looks disappointed. Keep going. Smile.'" Hollie went on to say: "I know I have a lot of trauma, even from 14 years ago. When I get on stage, sometimes I go back to that moment when I'm on TV and I'm about to have a panic attack."

She explained the steps she's taken towards healing: "I've done a lot of therapy and counselling where I'm just like, 'You need to breathe, you need to relax. You're enjoying this. You're fine'. I really had to delve deep to accept the panic attacks for what they are and just keep going through it all."

Her candid revelations ignited a debate about the welfare of young performers and the psychological effects of participating in talent competitions. The late television icon Bruce Forsyth weighed in at the time, criticising the pressure placed on children in such shows: "To put little children through that kind of ordeal I think is wrong. Some poor little girl was crying her eyes out on there. I don't think that's entertainment."