Unassuming 27-year-old Emma Haslam amazed Britain’s Got Talent with a wild pole dancing routine for her audition. Haslam, who is a size 18, described herself as a “bigger lady” and told the judges she was there to “promote pole fitness” but not just for the “usual sizes”. To the tune of Katy Perry’s “Firework”, she began a graceful routine while wearing a figure-hugging one-piece outfit.
Haslam’s routine quickly moved from graceful to astonishing as she busted out technical move after technical move, hanging upside down and spinning around like it was nothing. Haslam, who is a mum of one from Derby, showed off remarkable flexibility in her high-speed routine, quickly getting the audience and judges onside. Check out her audition below, which is one of the top videos on the entire Britain’s Got Talent channel, with 71 million views clocked.
Judge Amanda Holden commented first, saying “for you to get up and have such good body confidence is a massive example to girls all over the world.” Alesha Dixon was also a fan, saying “I don’t care what size you are – you are brilliant at what you do.” David Walliams then weighed in with the first yes vote, then the other three judges followed suit, giving Haslam a clean sweep for her audition.
Haslam impressed viewers at home, who added positive comments such as “She brought pole dancing up a few notches as an art form. Her act was beautiful and gravity-defying. I would love to see her in a live performance” and “This woman is amazing – the fact that she’s so limber at the age of 27 is incredible. I love her confidence as well”. The talented dancer also performed at the Yorkshire Pole Championship shortly after her Britain’s Got Talent audition, which you can see below.
Halsam reflected on her Britain’s Got Talent experience in an interview with The Sun, saying that the “producers begged me to go on the show after seeing a video of me, it was crazy. Simon Cowell said I was really good. David Walliams said it didn’t matter about my size at all.” She later told the Daily Mail that pole fitness gave her confidence with her body and that she’s “glad that Britain’s Got Talent gave me a chance to show that pole fitness is for everyone, regardless of shape or size.”
Although Haslam passed her audition on Britain’s Got Talent, she did not progress to the semi-finals. However, she was able to use the exposure she gained on the show to move into a modelling career. Plus-size fashion brand Yours Clothing were very impressed with her audition and contacted her to ask if she would model for their SS14 clothing line. A spokesperson for the company said “When we saw Emma we thought it was great to see her promoting such a positive body image.” Haslam accepted the company’s invitation and opened up a new chapter in her career. If you would like to see more from Emma Haslam, you can her on Facebook or Instagram.