Britain's Got Talent champ George Sampson has revealed how a devastating spine disease once sent him blind in one eye.
The 14-year-old break dancer vowed to defy doctors who have warned his rigorous dance routines could cripple him.
He says, "There�s no way I�d ever give up dancing. Nothing would stop me."
The teen, who scooped �100,000 in prize money and a slot at the Royal Variety Performance in Saturday's live final of the hit ITV show, says that he suffers from rare Scheuermann�s disease, a curvature of the spine that hits fast-growing teenagers.
And he said the condition left him blind in his right eye for two months shortly before his TV bid for fame.
He told British newspaper The Sun, "The eye was all inflamed. I�d been using Deep Heat for my sore back, so at first I just thought I�d got it in my eye. But I ended up blind.
"The spinal nerves were trapped and it affected my optic nerves.
"I lost all my coordination and it was really hard to dance, as I didn�t have my balance. I kept bumping into everything.
"It was really hard. There were a few times when I panicked that my eyesight wouldn�t come back. I did get really down."
George admitted that doctors have warned him he should stop his beloved break dancing in case it leaves him permanently disabled.
His show-winning Singing In The Rain performance ends with a flip which sees him slam to the floor on his back.
His mum Lesley, 39, said: "The doctors have said it�s not great for him to be breakdancing, especially landing so hard on his back."
Even as she spoke, George interrupted to insist: "No way."
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