When was Paula Moulton on Britain’s Got Talent? Wheelchair dancer passes away at 52

Paula Moulton, who participated in Britain's Got Talent in 2012, passed away at the age of 52. Her foundation, Strictly Wheels reported the news via their Facebook page on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. There was a video included in the post featuring many of Moulton's iconic performances along with her dance partner Gary Lyness.

“We are devastated to announce the sudden passing of our co-founder Paula. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this extremely sad time. Paula's legacy will always live in our memories from her utter joy of dance,” the caption of the post read.

In an entry to the show, Britain's Got Talent, Paula Moulton performed a dance in a wheelchair and encouraged many viewers to achieve their dreams. David Walliams spoke about why her performance left an impression on him and said that he thought that the performance was "amazing" and "absolutely fantastic." He stated that she turned something that might have been considered a negative into a positive. In Britain's Got Talent, Paula Moulton reached the semi-finals.

It was reported that some complications caused by MRSA led to her death. Her foundation is also helping save money to give Paula the funeral that she deserves. Digital Spy reported that the foundation has already raised over £550 of the £4,000 that is needed.

Aside from the cost of the funeral, the remaining funds will go directly to Paula's foundation, Strictly Wheels.

---

Britain's Got Talent's semi-finalist Paula Moulton battled MRSA

Back in 1995, Britain's Got Talent alum Paula Moulton revealed her struggle with MRSA in an interview with Daily Star. She told the publication that she got pneumonia and had to be hospitalized following which she contracted MRSA which damaged her pelvis, lower spine, hips, and femurs. She added that she also had nerve damage.

Paula said that while she can stand, she is unable to walk and uses leg splints to stand up. Noting that she was lucky to be alive, Paula Moulton noted that MRSA would've killed her as she had septicemia

The dancer also said that when she was told that she would be in a wheelchair, it was a relief for her as she kept falling over and was incredibly exhausted.

“Initially, I managed to get up on crutches but it was causing so much damage that the only option was to use a chair full-time," Paula said.

According to Medical News Today, MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

“Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA, is a form of contagious bacterial infection. People sometimes call it a superbug because it is resistant to numerous antibiotics," the report says.

It adds that MRSA is present in nearly 5% of inpatients in the US and that one in every three people carry the Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria on their skin or under their noses.

“These bacteria do not usually cause a problem, but if they enter the body and lead to an infection, it can become serious. A person may develop sepsis or pneumonia, for example, which can be fatal,” the article further notes.

Paula started dancing in 2010 and after months of practice appeared on Sky 1's Got to Dance. The following year, she also won Gold in the Amateur Latin Category of the Dutch Open Championships. Even though Paula Moulton had MRSA, she didn't let that stop her from achieving her dream.

After completing Britain's Got Talent, she and Gary Lyness started a foundation, Strictly Wheels. In 2016, the foundation opened its doors to give classes to people who are in wheelchairs but love dancing.

As mentioned earlier, Paula's foundation is currently raising funds to give her the funeral she deserves and the rest of the funds will go to her foundation.