Britain’s Got Talent contestant Chantel Bellew’s mum has spoken to the Mirror about her daughter’s struggle after her career died during lockdown

Chantel Bellew struggled with depression before her death(Image: Instagram)

Tragic Britain’s Got Talent hopeful Chantel Bellew “couldn’t handle life” when her career died and suffered a devastating breakdown before her death, her mum has said.

The 2019 BGT contestant, who previously taught Strictly judge Anton Du Beke how to tap dance, died in hospital at 34 years old from a suspected overdose just weeks after her birthday. Chantel had been struggling with depression.

Speaking to the Mirror, Chantel’s mum Jill Dawson described her daughter as a “ray of sunshine” and the “brightest star in the sky”. However, Jill explained that she noticed a decline in Chantel just before lockdown, which grew worse in 2020 and that she suffered a breakdown as her career collapsed.

She said: “Chantel did the celebrity cruises all over the world and was also teaching dance but it came to an end during lockdown. It affected all the performers. There was a decline in her just before lockdown but it got much worse during lockdown. When her career died she couldn’t handle life and had a breakdown. She went for help but there was not the support afterwards. She wasn’t a girl to work in a shop. I told her how to be a barmaid and told her to act like she was on stage.

Chantel appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2019(Image: ITV)

“Chantel was taken to Bolton hospital last Monday and was blue-lighted to St James in Leeds but on Friday I was told she wasn’t going to make it and she passed away.”

Chantel’s loved ones have set up a fundraising page to cover the cost of her funeral in order to give her the “showbiz farewell she deserves”. Jill will be encorporating Chantel’s final wish into her funeral as a celebration of her life. “Chantel planned to choreograph her own show and had wanted to set up her own show on a cruise line,” she said. “She will have one last show when we lay her to rest. She will have performers and dancers, she will have it all.

“I just feel like my world has collapsed – she was one in a million. There will never be another Chantel. The funeral will be a celebration of Chantel’s happy life.”

And Jill is urging for others in Chantel’s position to speak out if they’re struggling with mental health issues and seek help. “So many people are suffering so I want to send a message that if people are suffering there is always someone to talk to,” she said. “If this can happen to someone who has achieved what Chantel has achieved then it can happen to anyone. I beg people to seek help.

She taught Anton Du Beke how to tap dance(Image: Instagram)

“Anyone who is feeling low, please reach out to friends, family or a stranger. If this can happen to my daughter, it can happen to anyone. If this message can help just one person and encourage them to talk to someone. I don’t want people to be embarrassed about having mental health problems.

“She was my ray of sunshine and was a ray of sunshine to the whole family.

“She always had a smile on her face. She was an amazing tap dancer but also she was a singer and did ballet – she could do it all and was an all-round performer. She was the life and soul of the party, she was a diamond. She will be the brightest star in the sky up there. She was the most fun-loving girl. She has done more in her life than anyone can believe. She was full of character.

“She loved going on Britain’s Got Talent. She also helped out Anton du Beke when he needed a tap dance routine. Her dream was to star in 42nd Street in Paris and she achieved that.”

The talented dancer managed to make BGT hosts Ant and Dec laugh on the show(Image: Instagram)

The late 34-year-old was a gifted dancer who graced the stage in numerous musicals, including the Paris production of 42nd Street. However, her crowning moment was making it onto BGT, where she performed a military-themed dance routine for hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

The Geordie duo were left in stitches as two male dancers ripped off her costume at the end of the performance, revealing a Union Jack bodice. Despite impressing the judges with her performance, she narrowly missed out on making it to the semi-finals, but friends say she had “a brilliant time” on the popular ITV talent show.

She shared a clip of her performance on Facebook, along with another video of her teaching Anton some tap moves, captioned: “Great day teaching Anton some tap.” Chantel, who resided in Widnes, Cheshire, was a dance and singing teacher in recent years. However, due to deteriorating mental health, she left her teaching career to work in a supermarket.

Katy Glover, Chantel’s friend and a fellow performer, paid tribute to her late pal and said: “She was such a whirlwind, the life and soul of the party and such a bundle of life. She lived and breathed glamour and showbiz and she was a fantastic tap dancer, she did a number of Britain’s Got Talent which she loved, and she kept telling everyone.

“Chantel said she’d had a brilliant time and treated it as another audition because she was so professional, and she was so determined. She also taught Anton Du Beke tap as well because tap was her life, she was the best tapper out there. She was incredible, one of a kind, sparkly and loving and loyal.”

The fundraiser launched to cover Chantel’s funeral costs has a target of £8,000 and currently stands at £9,170. The donations will be used to help cover expenses, memorial services, and other related costs, with all remaining funds donated to www.mind.org.uk to provide support for others suffering with mental health.