North East performers Lily and Joseph jump for joy as they survive second live show of The Greatest Dancer

On Saturday, February 8, contestants Lily Straughan, 11 and eight-year-old Joseph Chow performed for the second time live on the on BBC One’s The Greatest Dancer.

Geordie dance captain Cheryl picked the pair as one of her top three acts and secured them a place in the competition's live rounds. The pair danced for the first time live, last week.

Competing to win £50,000, a chance to dance on Strictly Come Dancing and to become The Greatest Dancer, contestants will perform a different routine with a set theme each week.

It’s ‘prop box week’ and Lily and Joseph were given books, Cheryl described their dance as a ‘magic, fantasy land’ saying they would take you to their ‘dream world’.

In the VT, Lily from Sunderland and Joseph from Boldon were back up North with their families, and spoke about last weeks performance.

Lily said: “Last Saturday was so cool” while Joseph went on to say: “It was so overwhelming that I just started crying.”

Joseph a self-taught gymnast, started dancing a year ago because of his younger sister Georgia who inspired him to try it.

Cheryl commented: “To be doing this only one year and now doing it on national TV blows my mind.”

Having never worked with props before, the dancing duo admitted their nerves about the performance saying it could be ‘a little bit of a disaster’.

Dancing to A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman soundtrack, Lily and Joseph dressed in school uniforms with monogrammed initials on their blazers did a contemporary performance in a library setting.

The energetic routine was magical and heartfelt and ended with a standing ovation from the audience.

Todrick Hall commented that Lily and Joseph are ‘stunning’ performers and said that their technique is just as good as their cuteness, claiming that they are gifted children who should never stop dancing.

Oti Mabuse said: “You’re beautiful, you’re talented, as a couple you work in sync” but the best comment made by Oti was when she said: “You take us on a journey with your faces.”

Matthew Morrison said: “You two are radiating – those box jumps off the podium were incredible and I felt so much joy from that performance.” Matthew went on to comment that their performance could inspire children to start reading.

Captain, Cheryl said: “You passed the books and you caught them! I’m bursting with pride”

Cheryl also took a moment to personally compliment Lily, saying a lot of people have commented on Joseph’s ability and that she dances with ‘such maturity’.

It was another tearful end for the pair, as they thanked the judges for the experience and Cheryl went on to say: “We’re not going to cry this week, we’re going to work on those emotions, I love you so much”

Backstage with Jordan Banjo the pair commented that working with Cheryl is ‘a dream come true’.

They received a scored of 94.9% from the audience, but it was down to the public to decide who should leave, sadly it was Dark Angels and Ross & Travis who left the competition.

We can see more of Lily and Joseph on BBC One on Saturday, February 15 when the remaining eight acts will dance to stay in the competition.