'Britain's Got Talent' winner branded 'dog girl'
'Britain's Got Talent' winner Ashleigh Butler was branded "dog girl" by schoolmates.
Ashleigh and her pet pooch Pudsey were the winners of Simon Cowell's TV talent competition last year with their lovable dance routines and it has been non-stop for the 17-year-old dog trainer since.
The doggie dancing expert has been inseparable from her beloved pooch from the moment she was given him on her 11th birthday but her friendship with her loyal mutt meant she became a target for bullies.
Ashleigh - who has doubled her 'Britain's Got Talent' winnings of £500,000 in the last year - said: "I used to hear them saying, 'Oh there's dog girl, all she ever does is hang around with her dogs.' But when I got home if I was down or anything like that, Pudsey knew and he'd come up and sit next to me."
Ashleigh has loved the attention she has received since 'BGT' but she doesn't like it when people think they can immediately stroke Pudsey just because they have seen him on TV.
She explained: "What does upset me a little bit though is that no one asks to stroke him - they just do it. He's not confident around people and I don't want him to be in a situation he doesn't feel comfortable in."
The Wellingborough-born teen has made it clear while at book signings with Pudsey and especially for the release of his 'autobi-dog-raphy' for people not to fuss over him.
However, she does see why fans may want to spoil him - because he's so loveable.
She said: "So when we do a book signing I do ask people not to stroke him. I think people think because they voted for us and they've seen us on the telly they have a right to stroke him. Or perhaps because he's so, well, cute."
