TEENAGER Olivia Campbell-Hardy had her dreams of being a famous musical star ripped away when she was murdered in the Manchester Arena Bombing, a public inquiry in to the attack heard today.
The 15-year-old, from Bury, had one day hoped of becoming a singer on the West End or a music teacher, her mother told the inquiry.
In a touching pen portrait video tribute to her "princess", mum Charlotte Hodgson told how Olivia — known as "Ollie" — had loved singing, dancing, hair and make-up.
She tearfully told the inquiry: "Ollie had too much to give. She had her whole life ahead of her.
"With her determination she would have accomplished what ever she set out to achieve.
"She put 100 per cent into anything but she always did it with a smile on her face.
"She would have made people laugh. She just wanted everyone to be happy."
As a child Ollie was her mum's 'shadow', and Charlotte said she "could not even have a bath without her, go to the toilet, or anything".
From an early age Ollie was creative and enjoyed performing.
On a holiday to Blackpool, aged five, Ollie entered a dance competition with sister Katrina and a friend, finishing third — for which she was "so proud".
After first attending St Peter's School, Ollie moved to Tottington Primary School where she joined the choir and "thrived".
School reports said Ollie was funny and cheeky and teachers could never shout at her because she would always make them laugh.
Her favourite colour was blue, and at a primary school prom she dyed her hair blue, had blue nails, wore a blue dress, and arrived on the back of a blue scooter.
Later Ollie went to Tottington High School, where she continued to thrive, especially in music.
Ollie would always put others before herself, Charlotte said.
Aged 12 she decided to take part in a charity swimming gala, despite having muscular problems in her legs.
Charlotte said: "When she finally climbed out of the pool I could tell she was in agony. But she still had that smile on her face because she was proud she had done it."
Her mum told the inquiry Ollie had ambitions to become famous and move to New York — where she would live in a house decorated with llamas, dinosaurs and unicorns.
She also wanted to buy her mum a "big house with a cleaner", to give her a break from the ironing.
Olivia loved dinosaurs and would say "Roar" instead of "I love you", her mum said.
"One thing she was serious about was her singing," Charlotte said.
"This was her life. If anyone had taken that away from her her life would have been over."
Ollie particularly loved to sing On My Own from the musical Les Miserables — and the pen portrait also featured a recording of her singing this and a video of her singing There You'll Be by Faith Hill.
At a family wedding, aged 11, Ollie sang All Of Me by John Legend, acapella, and left 'no dry eye in the house', her mum said.
"Grown men were crying over an 11-year-old's voice and how beautiful it was," she added.
But throughout her life Ollie was also "basically a tomboy in make-up", the inquiry heard, and she loved to play sport and get muddy.
She was always trying to make people laugh and making capers, family members said, such as trying to fit in a bag and smashing a chocolate Easter egg from the fridge on her stepdad's head.
In a tribute, Olivia's uncle Aaron described her as "the perfect, annoying little sister, niece, friend anyone could ask for", and said "Ollie made an impact on everyone she met".
He added: "She was passionate about everything she put her mind to and knew just what to say in every situation, even if it was to be said in a silly way.
"No one will come close to that girl. She was and always will be in my heart."
Since Ollie's tragic death, Charlotte said that her home is no longer full of laughter and people but just silence and emptiness.
"Since Olivia has gone the laughter has left us too," she said
"I tell a story an expect to hear a laugh but there's just silence. I'm never going to hear her laugh again."
She added: "Olivia, my princess, I miss you so much. You were special — or 'Speckal' as you would say.
"You know we love you, so I will simply say "roar" from mummy."
A tribute from Olivia's Nana, Ruth, said: "Baby girl, I could go on and on about what I miss about you but I expect you have to go and sing with the other angels.
"So for now, until we have our little chat, I will say I love you and look after that piece of heart you took from me with you.
"Hold it tight and you will know I am always with you and you are always with me."
In a letter, Olivia's ten-year-old niece, Ashley Wroe, said: "When I was sad she was always there. When my world was dark she stood by me and lit it up again.
"She was understanding of my problems. She was the only person I would trust with my feelings and emotions.
"She dreamed to be a singer and she made the world a better place for me and she was my world.
"When she went my world went dark. I'm nothing without her.
"All of me loves all of you."
The inquiry further heard from Charlotte that her daughter "hated odd numbers". But when she died she was given a body bag labelled 'No. 5".
"She would have hated that," her mum said, adding: "To the world she was one of the 22 angels. Not to me.
"She was Ollie. She was never just a number."
Inquiry chairman, Sir John Saunders concluded the hearing by adding: "Olivia or any of those who died are not nor simply will be a number to us. And with her determination and sense of humour, Olivia would have made a success of a life in music or in anything else she chose to do."
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