Seven-year-old Dottie heading to ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent semi-final

A golden buzzer worthy audition has seen seven-year-old Dottie Rees from Grays qualify to take part in Britain’s Got Talent’s (BGT) upcoming semi-final with her choir group ‘Ravi’s Dream Team Choir’.

Back in September 2020, Dottie (then just four) was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Since then, she’s undergone treatment including sixty sessions of chemotherapy at Basildon and Great Ormond Street Hospital. The journey following diagnosis hasn’t been an easy one on Dottie.

In a bid to find other families in similar positions, Dottie’s mum, Louise connected with groups of parents and children who were also living with brain tumours. It was from these meetings that Dottie and Louise met Ravi, the nine-year-old boy who founded ‘Ravi’s Dream Team Choir’ following his own treatment for a brain tumour.

Since joining the choir, Dottie, her mum, and grandma Denise have made weekly visits to Brighton to join the choir in preparation for their audition on ITV’s BGT. The choir’s hard work paid off with a powerful audition which impressed the show’s judges so much that they received their very own golden buzzer moment.

Mum, Louise said “Dottie’s diagnosis of a brain tumour at just four-years-old was a huge shock. I remember taking her to Basildon’s A&E department and the tests which immediately followed, within hours they’d provided us with her diagnosis.

“I’ll forever be grateful to the hospital staff for saving Dottie’s life with their diagnosis and treatment. With many return visits to Basildon, we’ve all been provided with such care and support. Services like the Play Team were phenomenal with Dottie, they do so much for me also. It’s this care that’s lead us to fundraise for the hospital over the years; we’ve donated Christmas presents to children at the hospital and were even able to fund a brand-new end of treatment bell for the children’s ward.

“Dottie’s not had it easy; two years of invasive treatment, ongoing tests and hospital visits has been tough on her, it’s been tough on us all as a family.  So, joining Ravi’s choir and getting onto BGT has been such a positive for us, a really fun and exciting experience.

“When your child gets diagnosed with something like this, it has an impact on everyone. Having my mum jump on board with the choir as well has been great for us all, we’ve loved every minute of it.

“We are all so proud to be shining a very bright light on the lives of children and their families following a brain tumour diagnosis. Life can be tough at times for us all, but this choir is providing us all with such happy times. We’re all so excited for the semi-final and hope that the public gets on board by voting for ‘Ravi’s Dream Team Choir’.”