The Greatest Dancer's Lily and Joseph speak of 'dream come true' appearance on BBC One show ahead of semi final

And ahead of the next show on Saturday, February 29 the pair, who train at The Worx – Dance Theatre Arts in Sunderland city centre, have urged other young dancers to “always believe in yourself” as they move forward towards their goal of taking the trophy.

Lily and Joseph, who are 11 and eight, wowed audiences up and down the country with their first appearance on the show in January – and were chosen by captain Cheryl to become one of her final three acts.

After a number of memorable performances throughout the live shows, they are within touching distance of the grand final on Saturday, March 7.

Looking ahead to their next performance on Saturday, they said: “We can't actually believe we made it through the audition, let alone get this far.

“To get this far and through to the semi finals means the world to us both.”

Lily, of Sunderland, and Joseph, from Boldon, have been rehearsing hard for their next dance – which will feature some new and exciting lifts.

The theme for their routine has been chosen by captain and coach Cheryl, who the children say they have “loved” working with so far.

“We always loved Cheryl since we were toddlers,” they said in interview.

“To actually work with her and get to know her as a person has made our dreams come true. It’s just epic!”

Lily and Joseph have been partners since April last year, and first auditioned for the programme over the summer.

The youngsters’ families have shared their pride in their hard work, and spoke of the “unbelievable” feeling in seeing their star rise.

Lily and Joseph hope to encourage others like them to take a leap of faith and try something new, as you never know where it could lead.

They added: “We hope we inspire lots of young boy and girl dancers or even if they are thinking of taking it up to always believe in yourself and make your dreams come true.”