BRITAIN'S Got Talent star Ella Shaw has a special homecoming show in the Ribble Valley next weekend.

The Langho teenager has invited fellow contestants and friends she met on Britain's Got Talent, including the Sakyi Four, who drew comparisons from the judges with the Jackson Five, with Emily Billington, Breaking Jazz and Cian Gleeson also in the line-up.

She said: "It is just a way of saying thank-you to the overwhelming support, those people who I'd never met before, sending me good luck cards and that gave me a lot of faith.

"I've had to sacrifice a lot, and sometimes it feels like you are training for a marathon because this is such a hard industry to work in and it is certainly not all that it is cracked up to be."

Next Saturday's event will raise money for Alopecia UK. Ella suffered from the condition and by age 11 she had lost all her hair.

"Having alopecia was a traumatic time in my life, it made me grow up, made me stronger," said the former pupil of St Mary's Primary School at Langho and St Augustine's High School, Billington.

"I was wearing a wig when I went to high school. I wanted to hide away – I didn't want anybody to see me.

"People looked at me differently because of the condition, and I just tried to block it out of my life."

TV presenter Gail Porter and British Olympic cycling ace Joanna Roswell both suffer from alopecia.

"It was tough on my mum and dad too, but they were always there for me with their incredible loving support," added Ella.

"It was my dream to be a professional musician, and I never wavered from that that dream.

"I look at life differently now, but emotionally it has been a crazy journey.

"Who would have guessed the shy little girl whose heart was breaking whilst losing all her hair would be so successful?£

Ella hit the headlines in May when she reached the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent, where show boss Simon Cowell described the teenager as 'mega, mega talented and had world class star quality.'

Following her Britain's Got Talent performance – delivering a rendition of 'Everybody's Free (To Feel Good) by Rozalla – Little Britain star David Walliams told Ella: "I was really blown away by your voice, well done."

On her TV appearance, Ella added: "I didn't think it was my best performance, and I did want to perform one of my own songs, but I'm still incredibly proud of making it so far.

"It proved an amazing platform, making contacts in the music industry and I have gained so many fans and that's lovely."

Ella, who previously took part in the Ribble Valley's talent contest Grab when she finished runner-up in 2012, added: "I know there's going to be a lot of hard work ahead but I'm determined to be successful and make a career from singing and song-writing."

n Ella Shaw and Friends, Clitheroe Grand, Saturday, September 5. In support of Alopecia UK. Details from 01200 421599.