The dancer and co-founder of Strictly Wheels passed away suddenly, the charity confirmed.
Former Britain’s Got Talent contestant Paula Moulton has died.
The dancer, who appeared on the show back in 2012 alongside Gary Lyness, passed away suddenly, Strictly Wheels confirmed in a Facebook post. A cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
“We are devastated to announce the sudden passing of our co-founder Paula,” the charity stated. “Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this extremely sad time. Paula’s legacy will always live in our memories from her utter joy of dance. #soundon for our favourite music from dance class.”
The tribute was posted alongside a video showing photos of the dancer, who co-founded the charity alongside Lyness to promote wheelchair dancing.
The pair first rose to fame when they took to the BGT stage to perform a number to Alicia Keys’ ‘Empire State of Mind’, which earned them four yeses from the judges. They made it to the live semi-finals before being eliminated.
Moulton had previously opened up to the Daily Star about her struggles with MRSA, which she contracted while recovering from pneumonia at the hospital.
“I’ve got nerve damage. I can stand but I can’t walk, and I use leg splints when I do stand. It was 17 years ago when I got MRSA. I was so ill I can’t remember a lot about it,” she told the publication back in 2012.
She added: “It should have killed me because I had septicaemia. I’m lucky to be alive. When I was told I’d be in a wheelchair it was actually a relief because I was falling over and I was so exhausted. Initially I managed to get up on crutches but it was causing so much damage that the only option was to use a chair full-time.”
Moulton began dancing with Lyness in 2010, with the pair going on to become the UK’s first IPC registered couple in 2013. They were the UK’s first and only top class Latin Wheelchair Dance Sport couple and competed for Team GB in Para Dance.
The pair founded Strictly Wheels in 2016, a foundation providing wheelchair dance classes and workshops in Manchester raising awareness and promoting wheelchair dance across the country.