Britain’s Got Talent star Kerri-Anne Donaldson died days after being discharged from hospital, an inquest has heard.
The 38-year-old found fame on the show with the dance troupe Kings and Queens in 2014, performing alongside Neil and Katya Jones and Kai Widdrington, who went on to appear as professionals in Strictly Come Dancing. Tragically, Kerri-Anne was found dead at her home in Farnborough, Hampshire, in June 2023.
She was found hanged at the property days after she had been held in police custody for an undisclosed reason, Winchester Coroner’s Court was told on Monday. Kerri-Anne had earlier been reported missing, before being found a short time later.
The dancer was then admitted to a hospital in Lyne, Surrey, but was discharged days before her death. Coroner, Jason Pegg, told a pre-inquest review hearing today that a post-mortem examination carried out after her death concluded that Kerri-Anne had tragically had died by “hanging”.
The last time the dancer was seen was at 11am on June 6. A full inquest hearing has been scheduled for next year, the Mirror reports.
The talented performer’s death came after Kerri-Anne revealed “inner demons” in a haunting last social media post. On March 16 last year, the 38-year-old alluded to financial difficulties, sharing: “The last two years have challenged me beyond belief, it’s definitely not all been sunshine and rainbows. My career was hit so badly that indeed, it affected my financial situation.
“My future prospects were put on hold for the foreseeable, and my motivation was becoming harder to maintain. I have admittedly had moments of self doubt and anxiety, and I have had to take action to save myself from those dark places that are very hard to return from.”
Admitting her life wasn’t as “shiny as it seems”, she concluded: “So the world wants perfection, and here I am, the furthest thing from it. I am now stuck in a hamster wheel, trying to move forward without admitting to anyone, including myself, that my life isn’t as shiny as it seems.”
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