A young dancer from South Oxhey has kept her place in a BBC competition, despite suffering a potentially career ending injury during training.

Charlotte Scally is one of 16 dancers left in the So You Think You Can Dance programme, a dancing talent show where contestants perform for a panel of judges each week.

On Friday, the day before her big performance on live television, the 20-year-old fell during training and banged her head on the concrete floor.

Beverley Scally, her mother, said: “We were on our way up to the BBC when they said she was seeing double and had to be taken to hospital.

“They had to make a decision at 5pm whether she could dance on the programme or not, which meant she would only have one chance to practise the dance.

“I got worried when she wasn't in the group dance at the beginning of the show, but she came on with her partner afterwards and did really well.”

Unknown to her family, Ms Scally had signed herself out of hospital in order to perform on the programme.

Beverley Scally added: “We were obviously really concerned, but I know what she's like, she knew she was going to dance.

“She would have been completely devastated if she had to leave, she was adamant she was going to do the show on Saturday night.”

After a tough series of auditions, Ms Scally now faces being one of two contestants voted off the programme each week.

She first learned Irish dancing in Watford, and is now studying at the prestigious Urdang Performing Arts College in the West End of London.

Ms Scally said: “I heard about this programme through a friend, but wasn't going for it until my nan heard about it and persuaded me. I went in as a jazz dancer because I'd recently been studying it.

“I didn't think I'd get through the first round, so I was really surprised. Normally if I'm going on holiday I'd take loads of suitcases, but I only took half a case because I didn't think I'd be here long.

“I just took it day by day, and kept telling my mum to be free to pick me up but they kept asking me to come back.”

You can see her on Saturday night at 7.00pm, on BBC One.

Beverley Scally added: “I feel so proud of her getting this far, and she's really enjoying working with the choreographers.

"We're looking forward to seeing her at the live show this weekend, there are 16 of us going down so she'll have plenty of support.”