Claire Connolly is a mother from Liverpool who rose to fame after appearing on Britain’s Got Talent in 2023. She made headlines for her touching gesture of posing as a contestant so that her daughter Tia, could perform on the show.
TL;DR
Claire Connolly is a mother from Liverpool who appeared on Britain’s Got Talent on 22nd April 2023. She posed as a contestant so that her daughter Tia could perform on the show, and her act of selflessness touched the hearts of the judges and audience. Connolly has a tragic past, having been jailed for allowing her home to be used to supply drugs, but she has never given up on her dreams of a better life for herself and her children. Her daughter’s stunning performance received four yeses, and she dedicated it to her mother.
Claire’s decision to give up her audition to let her daughter shine touched the hearts of the judges and audience alike. However, this selflessness is just one aspect of a life marked by struggle and adversity.
Profile summary
| Name | Claire Connolly |
| Occupation | Stay-at-home mum |
| Birthdate | 1989 |
| Birthplace | Liverpool, England |
| Age | 35 years old |
| Nationality | British |
| Children | Tia (16 years old), Ayannah (10 years old) |
Early Life and Career
Connolly was born in 1990 and raised in Liverpool. She is 34 years old and is a proud mother of two daughters. Little is known about her family background, but we will update this page once we have it. However, we know that Claire is not doing any job now as she is a full-time mother.
Children
Connolly has two daughters, Tia and Ayannah, who are 16 years old and 10 years old, respectively. Tia, a schoolgirl, was being bullied for her skin color, and she channeled all those bullying into singing. Becoming a mother at 17 was a challenging experience for Connolly, who was forced to put her ambitions aside to focus on raising her children.
Overcoming A Tragic Past
Claire Connolly is a remarkable individual who has persevered through numerous challenges in her life. She spent most of her life in the UK’s care system and children’s homes with little education, and her time there was tough. Claire was bullied in the children’s homes and suffered sexual abuse, which led to mental health issues at a young age. She was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and complex PTSD due to childhood and early adult trauma, including sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.
At 16, Claire became pregnant and had her first child at 17. Life was extremely difficult for her, and she went on to experience domestic violence. Unfortunately, this resulted in her going to prison for her involvement with cannabis.
In 2012, when she was 22, she was arrested for allowing her home to be used to supply drugs. Police found cannabis worth £6,000 hidden in Celebrations tins at her home, and Connolly was jailed for 12 months. In addition, she faced a charge of affray for assaulting a woman while on bail. Connolly has expressed regret for her actions and acknowledges their impact on her life.
Claire takes full responsibility for her actions and is remorseful for her mistakes. She is a suicide survivor and battles daily with mental health struggles, but she is always trying out new things and different ways of coping.
Despite her struggles, Claire has always tried to be the best mother for her children and has always supported them in following their dreams. She is a survivor who has turned pain into power, and her dreams and goals are to help people who have been victims of a broken system. Even though she is interested in becoming a singer one day, Claire also hopes to become a speaker and support worker for survivors.
She shares her experience and healing journey on her TikTok account, Survivors Matter.
Redemption on Britain’s Got Talent
Despite her troubled past, Connolly has never given up on her dreams of a better life for herself and her children. Her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent was a testament to her resilience and determination. By giving up her audition, she showed the depth of her love for her daughter and her willingness to put her child’s happiness above hers. Tia’s stunning performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” received rave reviews from the judges and viewers alike, and she sailed through to the next round with four yeses.
After performing on the BGT 2023 audition, Tia dedicated the act to her mother, whom she described as the strongest person she knew.