Former Britain’s Got Talent star Hollie Steel on the trauma of the show

Former Britain’s Got Talent star Hollie Steel has revealed she’s been in therapy and carries a lot of “trauma” since appearing on the show 14 years ago when she was just 10 years old.

The artist, now 24, said a certain moment still haunts her from her time in the competition.

She claims she received no support after having a panic attack on the show during an appearance by Edelweiss during the semi-finals.

Hollie reached the final, but ultimately lost the winning spot to dance group Diversity.

But after the incident in the semifinals, she was afraid she had ruined her chances and started crying on stage.

Despite the difficult moment, she was placed through to the final after judge Simon Cowell restarted her.

He later called her the “bravest girl in the world.”

She has now told The sun of the moment: “I know I have a lot of trauma, even from 14 years ago. Sometimes when I’m on stage I go back to that moment when I’m on TV and about to have a panic attack.

“I’ve done a lot of therapy and counseling where I thought, ‘You need to breathe, you need to relax.

‘ You enjoy this. You’re okay’.

“I really had to dig deep to accept the panic attacks for what they are and just go through them.”

ITV has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

Hollie’s experience on the show sparked a national debate over whether kids should be allowed to audition for talent shows.

Hollie, now 24, has released three albums and starred in West End shows such as Grease, where she appeared as the pink-haired character Frenchy.

In 2009, the judges voted the little girl through and praised her bravery after she returned to the stage for a second performance.

She had initially fled the stage in tears during her Edelweiss performance after nerves got the better of her.

Amanda Holden said when deciding whether to send her or Welsh waiter Greg Pritchard through to the final: “It wasn’t just that she came back on stage, it was that her performance was better.”

Cowell voted unanimously to send the schoolgirl through to the finals.

Earlier in the show, the little girl collapsed halfway through her song and was visibly shaking.

She fled from the stage to her mother, who was sitting next to the judges.

Sobbing, Hollie begged the judges to let her start over, and went back on stage with her mother.

Producers initially refused to let her sing again due to time constraints, causing the child to collapse again.

Simon interjected, “I don’t care how we do it, but we’ll find the time somewhere (in the show) to let you audition again.”

Later, Ant confirmed she would be singing again, to cheers from the crowd.

For her second appearance later in the show, the collected little girl made it to the end of the song without hesitation, ending on a remarkably high note.

The ten-year-old cried again after her performance, but received encouraging comments from the judges.

Ant said, “That was worth the wait, that note at the end.”

Simon said, “Hollie, you are now officially the bravest girl in the world. Good for you. It is not easy. You’re ten, alone on stage.

“You not only sang it right the second time, you played it and you got the last note right.”

Piers said, “You can smile now. It’s all over. That was one of the most brutal things I’ve ever seen in my life. I couldn’t have done that. You can be very proud of yourself.

“I’ll be surprised if you’re not in the final.

Amanda said, “Hollie, I knew you could do it.

You’re kind of professional.

“The most beautiful, innocent pure voice.”