Who is Julia Carlile and is she taking part in Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions?
JULIA Carlile's career skyrocketed after she appeared on the eleventh series of Britain's Got Talent with her dance group MerseyGirls.
Now, two years after Simon Cowell paid £175,000 for her to have surgery on her back she's back on the stage that made her famous for the ultimate showdown in Britain's Got Talent: The Champions. Here's what we know about the dancer...
Who is Julia Carlile?
Julia was born on January 19, 2002.
She is a member of the dance group MerseyGirls.
They shot to fame when they appeared on Britain's Got talent in 2017.
She suffers from scoliosis.
Who are MerseyGirls and how far did they get on Britain's Got Talent act?
MerseyGirls, formerly known as Just Us, are a group of five girl pals who have been dancing together since the age of five.
The group consists of Julia, along with Annie and Alice, both 19, Rebecca, 18, and 16-year-old Poppy.
The girls wowed on their first audition and received the coveted Golden Buzzer from judge Alesha Dixon.
They then got through to the final where they came in fourth place
Are MerseyGirls doing Britain's Got Talent: The Champions?
Yes! The MerseyGirls will be back on the stage that first propelled them to fame to compete with other stars in the show's history.
It will be the first time that Julia has revisited the stage since Simon Cowell famously forked out £175,000 for her to have back surgery.
The dancers will be battling it out against the likes of Stavros Flatley, Collabro, Ashleigh and Sully, George Sampson, Jai MacDowall and Paul Potts.
But it remains to be seen who will be crowned the ultimate victor in the show's history.
When will Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions be on TV?
ITV have confirmed the BGT spin-off will start on Saturday, August 31.
The series will run for six weeks - with this in mind the show is likely to end on October 5, 2019.
We know that the final was taped at Wembley Arena at the end of July.
Embarrassingly enough, the act who won the contest showed off their trophy outside the arena - we won’t spoil it for you, but if you do care to know who’s won the show, a simple Twitter search will bring up the answer in no time.
Did Simon Cowell pay for Julia Carlile to have back surgery?
Whilst on Britain's Got Talent Simon pledged to pay for Julia to have surgery on her back.
The dancer touched the nation by revealing she suffered from scoliosis - a curvature of the spine, which leaves her in constant pain.
Simon was so moved he said during the show he would pay for her to have an operation.
Good to his word, Julia has revealed she is now recovering after Si paid £175,000 for her to have the pioneering procedure.
Julia made her first public appearance since her surgery at the National Reality Television Awards in 2017.
Arriving at Porchester Hall with her dance group, Julia was all smiles as she posed for photos with her friends.
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Has Julia Carlile fully recovered from her back surgery?
Julia was back on her toes training just months after her surgery.
Speaking at the time, Julia told the : "Dancing again, surrounded by my friends, is the best feeling in the world."
She continued: "I was desperate to perform again, but when I got to class I was really nervous. I didn’t know how my body would cope and I was scared of hurting myself."
"But when I went in everyone walked up and hugged me. I was so pleased to be back. It was overwhelming."
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a spine condition that causes it to twist and curve out of shape.
It is most common in the chest and lower region of the back, and can be an effect of a series of other ailments including cerebral palsy and spina bifida.
Visible signs of the condition including protruding spines, asymmetrical ribs, unbalanced shoulder blades and the head being off-centre.
Those like Julia who are born with scoliosis often grow into it as they grow up and their spine straightens itself in the process.
However, if the spine doesn't straighten naturally, it could often mean those affected can be forced to use braces or undergo surgery and therapy in order to help it.
Other effects of scoliosis include chronic pain and decreased exercise capacity, which would affect Julia's dancing as a result.