BGT dancer took own life after arrest, coroner rules

A dancer who appeared on Britain's Got Talent took her own life three days after being arrested on suspicion of child sex offending, a coroner has ruled.

Kerri-Anne Donaldson, who reached the semi-final of the ITV show in 2014 as part of the Kings and Queens group, was found dead at her home in Farnborough, Hampshire, on 7 June 2023.

An inquest held at Winchester was told the 38-year-old was arrested on 4 June and questioned at a police station about the sexual offence, which she denied.

Donaldson was later found at a hotel in Woking, Surrey, having taken an overdose. She was taken to hospital and then discharged but was found hanged at her home a day later.

Det Con Benjamin Harris, of Hampshire police, led the investigation into the accusation.

He previously told the inquest the person making the claim had said Donaldson had told them that she would take her own life "if someone finds out" about the allegation.

Harris said he had considered the possibility that Donaldson's reported comments could be a "form of control" against the complainant.

He said he reported the comments to his senior officers and advised his colleagues, who subsequently arrested Donaldson.

Harris said that after the interview he graded Donaldson's risk of self-harm as "standard" and said "she had no indication that she wanted to take her own life".

He added the police did not have the powers to detain someone unless they presented an "imminent" danger to themselves.

A post-mortem examination gave a cause of death of hanging and found Donaldson had non-fatal levels of medication in her blood which were consistent with an overdose, the inquest heard.

Coroner Jason Pegg recorded a conclusion of suicide.

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