From Britain’s Got Talent to Keele: Eva’s inspirational story

Eva Abley is a first-year student at Keele University, where she is studying Occupational Therapy.

Hi everyone,

I was asked to write a blog about my journey to Keele University. Well, it was quite easy really: straight up the M6, off at junction 15, and then follow the sat nav. Easy!

No, seriously. For those of you who don't know, a few years ago I entered a little show called Britain’s Got Talent and made it all the way to the final. I’ve been asked to share my journey and how it has led me to where I am today at Keele University, in my first year studying Occupational Therapy.

So, a brief introduction to me. I'm probably the slightly wobbly person you'll see charging up and down the path between Holly Cross and the Students’ Union. The wobbling is usually down to my cerebral palsy, although during Freshers' Week there was a fair chance it was caused by one too many drinks!

If you've ever stopped for a chat and then walked away wondering, "What on earth did she just say?", don't worry, you're not alone. Part of that is my disability affecting my speech, and the other part is that I'm from the Black Country. Even Google Translate would struggle with some of our sayings!

But don't let that put you off saying hello. I promise that with a little patience, you'll soon learn to speak fluent "Eva" and maybe even pick up a bit of Black Country along the way.

Since appearing on Britain's Got Talent in 2022, I have taken part in a number of interviews, written a book, and been involved in various other projects that have highlighted some of the challenges I faced during my early years. These included home schooling, loneliness, and depression, to name just a few. However, with the support of family and friends by your side, it is possible to overcome even the most difficult times.

I wanted this blog to be a positive one and to focus on the wonderful journey I have had. In fact, as I sit here writing this, looking out of my window at Holly Cross, I can honestly say that I am the happiest I have ever been.

Studying at Keele University is an absolute privilege, and I truly believe it will help shape my future. I know it will. Along the way, I may even share a few stories and insights about some of the well-known people I have been fortunate enough to meet during my journey.

So where shall we start.   

How did Britain's Got Talent come about?

With my dad being a firefighter, one of the highlights of my childhood was visiting a place where firefighters could recuperate and recover after difficult incidents. On one of those visits, I met a firefighter who was recuperating following the Grenfell Tower disaster. During a conversation, he told me a joke about a doughnut.

Now, when I say 'a joke about a doughnut', it wasn't a quick one-liner. It was one of those long, drawn-out stories where you're wondering if the punchline is ever going to arrive. But for some reason, it stuck with me.

Later that summer, we went on holiday to Newquay, your classic British seaside destination. While we were there, I decided I was going to enter the holiday park talent show. My parents' reaction was immediate:

"NOOOOOOO!"

My dad was convinced I was about to get on stage and sing. Trust me, that's something nobody wants to hear.

Anyway, instead of singing, I stood up in front of everyone and retold the doughnut joke I'd heard from the firefighter. I couldn't believe it. People were absolutely crying with laughter. They just kept laughing and laughing. Even more surprisingly, I ended up winning the talent show.

What I didn't realise at the time was that my mum had secretly filmed the whole thing and uploaded it to Instagram.

A few weeks later, I started getting messages from a man claiming he worked for Britain's Got Talent. Naturally, my parents told me to ignore them. After all, that's exactly what you'd tell your child if a random stranger appeared on social media claiming to be from TV.

Then he started messaging my mum too.

It turned out he really was a researcher from Britain's Got Talent. He had seen my mum's video and wanted me to audition for the show.

Our response was basically, "thanks, but no thanks." This was a complete one-off. I wasn't a comedian, I wasn't an entertainer, and I certainly wasn't planning a career in showbusiness.

But he kept insisting. He said there was something about me that the show would love.

In the end, I thought, oh well, what's the worst that can happen? Nobody talks to me anyway, so at the very least it would give me a story to tell.

As it turned out, it gave me a lot more than that.

So, I wrote a sketch. To be honest, it was just me taking the mick out of myself, my disability, and my family, because that's what I knew best.

Before I knew it, we were heading down to the London Palladium.

I walked out onto the stage and performed in front of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and David Walliams. Strangely, I honestly didn't have a care in the world. I didn't care who was watching, who was listening, or what anyone thought of me. I'd spent far too much of my life worrying about those things already.

Eva on stage at Britain's Got Talent. Credit: Britain's Got Talent, YouTube.

For the first time, I was doing something purely for me. I was proving to myself that I was somebody, that I could do it. I was just a little girl from the Black Country, standing on one of the biggest stages in the country, taking the mick out of myself and having a laugh.

When I finished, the audience erupted.

I was completely stunned.

My mum and dad were both bawling their eyes out.

The funniest part came later when the programme aired. During the show, they kept cutting to my dad crying during another contestant's performance, a man singing a love song. It was actually footage from my audition that the editors had cleverly reused.  

One of the producers told us, "a big bald bloke crying on national television is like gold dust."

All four judges gave me a standing ovation, which was something I never could have imagined. When I came off stage, I ran straight into my mum's arms. As we were hugging, I suddenly felt someone else joining in.

I turned around and it was Amanda Holden.

She had rushed backstage just to meet me and give me a hug.  

(My dad was absolutely gutted. He was still sat in the audience.)  

So, here's my first celebrity review...

Amanda Holden - every bit as lovely on the inside as she looks on the outside. She genuinely looks like a princess and was one of the kindest, warmest people I met throughout the whole experience.

I should probably apologise now because, throughout this blog, there won't be many bad words said about anyone. I was incredibly lucky to meet some amazing people along the way, and Amanda was certainly one of them.

After the audition, it was a nerve-racking few weeks waiting to find out whether I'd made it through to the semi-finals. Then one day, the call finally came.  

I'd made it.

My first thought wasn't excitement. It was:  

"Oh ****... I'd better write another script!"

So that's exactly what I did.  

One of the jokes went something like this:  

"Did you know that when you're 16, you can learn to drive? I can hardly push a shopping trolley in a straight line. I know exactly what'll happen if I get pulled over. The police will ask me to walk in a straight line... I've never walked in a straight line in my entire life!"

Just to give you a flavour of the comedy. As you can see, my main source of material was me!

Between the auditions and the semi-finals, I found myself doing all sorts of interviews, the most memorable being with Lorraine Kelly.

So here's my second celebrity review. 

Lorraine Kelly - absolutely bonkers, in the best possible way. I love her. 

During one interview, I was telling her about some of the difficulties I'd experienced at school. When the cameras stopped rolling, she looked at me and said:  

"Eva, you're amazing. Just tell them all to **** off".

Instant legend.  

My third celebrity review is…

Holly Willoughby - she gave me a massive hug and was genuinely lovely. Mum pulled a face when I told everyone how wonderful she was and said, "she's false." Jealousy, obviously. Only joking! Mum agreed that Holly was really nice.

I'm beginning to realise this blog is turning into less of a journey to Keele and more of a celebrity review column!

Then came the semi-finals. There was a knock at my dressing-room door and, to my surprise, it was David Walliams - an absolute legend.

He came in, sat down, and spent about 20 minutes chatting to me about life, comedy, and my plans for the future. He was so down-to-earth that it felt like having a cup of tea with an old friend. He even gave me his private email address after I mentioned I was writing a book and said he'd love to read it.

Eva with David Walliams. Credit: Eva Abley, Instagram.

The semi-final itself was surreal. The sketch flowed perfectly, the audience loved it, and the judges were full of praise. When it came down to me and another contestant, I could hear thousands of people chanting my name.

At that moment, I realised I was no longer the shy little girl who worried about fitting in. I felt like I was someone.

When the judges chose me to go through to the final, it was one of the best feelings of my life.  

Performing in the Britain's Got Talent final was something really special. I wanted to be at my absolute best, but what I didn't realise at the time was that I had that lovely little gift called Covid. So, I was feeling pretty rough! Not that I would have won anyway because Axel was incredible and thoroughly deserved it, but by then I'd already achieved everything I'd wanted to achieve.  

Anyway, who have we missed along the way?  

Ant McPartlin - massive forehead. Funny and lovely.  

Declan Donnelly - very small. Funny and lovely.  

Alesha Dixon - elegant, stylish, lovely, and as she would say... wicked.  

Lionel Messi - bit of a random one. Apparently, there's a little bloke who's quite good at football. I was once a mascot at Barcelona and met him there. The funny thing is that I know absolutely nothing about football.  

Jasper Carrott - hilarious. Exactly what you'd hope for.  

And finally, the big one...  

Simon Cowell - despite smelling annoyingly amazing, he was one of the nicest people I've ever met. He was nothing like the character people see on television. Compassionate, interested in people, warm, and genuine. A true English gentleman.  

Looking back now, Britain's Got Talent changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. Not because of the television, the celebrities, or the fame, but because it gave me confidence. It made me realise that being different isn't something to hide, it's something to celebrate.  

So, what happened after Britain's Got Talent? 

Well, life became a bit of a whirlwind.

I took part in a couple of documentaries, including one for Sky called Eva’s Having a Ball, which helped raise thousands of pounds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Oh, and one of the documentaries even won a BAFTA, which was pretty special.

I also wrote a book called The Good, The Bad and The Wobbly, performed in lots of shows and events, and was honoured to receive a Pride of Birmingham Award.

People often ask if comedy was always my passion. The honest answer is no, not really. Comedy was my way of being heard. It gave me a voice. It was my way of sticking two fingers up to the people who ignored me or laughed at the way I walked or talked. Life is for living, but more importantly, it's for living with a smile on your face.

And, perhaps my greatest achievement of all... I've survived Freshers' Week!

Eva at Keele University.

Ultimately, all of these experiences have led me here, sitting in my room at Keele University, happier than I've ever been and excited about whatever comes next. I hope the challenges and experiences I've had throughout my life will help me in my studies as an Occupational Therapist and enable me to go on and help others.ha

Anyway, you're probably bored of hearing me ramble on by now. If you see me around campus, please come and say hello. I'll definitely say something back... whether you understand it or not is another matter entirely!