Everyone loves a good underdog, and Susan Boyle was exactly that when she auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent back in 2009.
Taking to the stage in front of arguably the harshest critics in the business, judges Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan, Boyle held her ground and belted out her rendition of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from Les Misérables. There wasn’t a dry eye in the arena.
The song catapulted the Scottish singer into the finals of the competition. And although she didn’t win and placed second, she became an international superstar.
Here’s what became of the shy woman whose incredible voice won over the world.
What happened to Susan Boyle after Britain’s Got Talent?
After her momentous audition on Britain’s Got Talent, Boyle was instantly recognised –– not just in the UK but across the world.
Her audition alone was the most-watched YouTube video of 2009, clocking up 120 million views that year. It has now received 262 million views (and counting) in the 24 years since the show.
Boyle released her debut album in I Dreamed a Dream in 2009 shortly after BGT wrapped. Upon its release, it was hailed the fastest-selling UK debut album of all time. To date, she has sold 25 million records worldwide and clocked up 250 million audio streams and 650 million YouTube hits.
The singer went on to release seven albums. Her most recent one dropped in 2019 and was called Ten — a compilation of her biggest hits in the last decade.
RELATED: Susan Boyle makes her TikTok debut in hilarious video dancing with family
She has also performed with her idol, singer Elaine Paige, in London, while also singing a duet in Las Vegas with her other musical idol, Donny Osmond, in Las Vegas.
Boyle has also performed in front of the Queen twice — in 2012, Boyle sang at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and then graced the monarch again with her voice in 2014 at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, her home country.
The singer has also received two Grammy nominations for Pop Vocal Album in 2011 for I Dreamed A Dream and Traditional Pop Vocal Album in 2012 for The Gift.
“The biggest change was really the instant fame, from being a wee unknown lady with a cat in Scotland to being recognised wherever I went. It took some getting used to,” Boyle would later tell People in 2019.
Did Susan Boyle have a stroke?
In 2023, Boyle made a surprise appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, her first TV performance in years. On the show, the star opened up about her fears her illness may have prevented her from “ever performing again”.
“It feels great [to be back] – it’s extra special for me actually because last April I suffered a minor stroke,” Boyle told the audience. “I thought I wouldn’t get back on stage and I have done it.”
She performed the song that started it all – I Dreamed A Dream – alongside the cast of West End musical Les Miserables.
Boyle shared some snaps from the night on Instagram, with the caption: “For the past year I have worked so hard to get my speech and singing back, with the sole aim of being able to sing on stage again & tonight my hard work & perseverance paid off, singing the song that started it all, ‘I Dreamed A Dream’.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CtFZvqdqFTE/
According to some sources, Boyle had to undergo rigorous rehab to retrain her voice following the stroke, as it affected her ability to control some facial muscles, leaving her with a dropped face and slurred speech.
What song made Susan Boyle famous?
Boyle sang ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from the musical Les Misérables when auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent. And while she all smiles before and after her performance that fateful day, there was a sad backstory to her audition.
In 2007, just two years prior, her mother had died aged 91 and the loss was devastating for Boyle, who in 2012 was diagnosed with Asperger’s — a condition that affects one’s ability to socialise and communicate.
“I had just lost my mum and I had nothing to look forward to, so I have no doubt it was a blessing,” she later told The Sunday Post of her audition. “I think that was my mum’s way of telling me to keep going, that I had something to offer.
“I’m sure there was divine intervention involved. My mum’s still looking after me now, she’s still here and she has given me the confidence to do what I do.”
Who won Britain’s Got Talent over Susan Boyle?
Boyle was arguably the most popular contestant during Series 3 of Britain’s Got Talent. TV personalities Oprah Winfrey and Larry King wanted to interview her and actor Ashton Kutcher shared a clip of her audition to millions of his Twitter followers. But somehow, Boyle did not go home with the coveted BGT trophy.
The title and £100,000 prize money (approx. $178,000) was awarded to dance group Diversity, with Boyle recalling secretly panicking after the winner was revealed.
“I didn’t want to go back to my old life,” she later explained to The Metro. “Then Simon [Cowell] came running up on stage and whispered into my ear that I had a recording contract no matter what and the panic gave way to exhaustion. I was so tired, I tried to do my best but got so completely overwhelmed with the thought of not doing my best, or messing up my performance that I couldn’t sleep or relax.
“That said, the best men won on the night and Diversity were a great group and well, I think I proved that it’s no bad thing to come second!’
What did Simon Cowell say to Susan Boyle?
The TV judge and record producer initially scoffed at Boyle when she introduced herself to the crowd ahead of her 2009 audition. And he’s the first to apologise for judging a book by its cover.
“I can remember vividly how disgusting I was on the day, before you sang — and then what you did, and what happened afterwards,” he admitted to Boyle when she returned to perform at an America’s Got Talent special in 2019.
“I mean seriously, [your performance] was fantastic. You’re a champion.”
RELATED: What is Holly Valance doing now?
What is Susan Boyle doing now?
As mentioned above, Boyle was one of the contestants asked to compete in America’s Got Talent: The Champions in 2019.
Singing ‘Wild Horses’, Boyle received a Golden Buzzer from judge Mel B, sending the hopeful straight to the finals. Unfortunately, she didn’t win that time either but Cowell was nonetheless impressed.
“You know what Susan? I can’t think of any other contestant who has defined this show better than if I’m being honest with you,” he told her. “You’re the one, you made a huge difference in a lot of people’s lives. I’m absolutely thrilled you’re here.”
Boyle remains an active recording artist signed to Cowell’s label Syco Entertainment. In 2021, she performed her song “Wings To Fly” at the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony.
In June 2023, she made a surprise guest appearance on Britain’s Got Talent, performing ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ with X Factor star Lucie Jones.
How old is Susan Boyle?
Susan Boyle is 62 years old. She was born on April 1, 1961 in West Lothian, Scotland.
Where does Susan Boyle live?
Despite her newfound fame and fortune, Boyle still lives in her family home in Blackburn in West Lothian, Scotland. She was raised in the town by her miner and veteran father Patrick and her mother Bridget, who was a shorthand typist.
Boyle has said in previous interviews that she has no plans to leave the family home as it’s where she feels closest to her later mother.
“It’s good to be in your mum’s house as well, there’s a lot of nice memories in my mum’s,” she told The Sun in 2019. “I sort of feel she’s present here, somehow.”
Is Susan Boyle married?
Boyle has never married and is currently single. She famously revealed back in 2009 that she had never been kissed, and only met her first boyfriend when she was 53.
Her rep revealed to CBS in 2014 that Boyle was dating a Connecticut doctor during the US leg of her tour, Susan Boyle in Concert. They reportedly met in Clearwater, Florida, and they made plans for him to move to Scotland to be with her.
“I hope he comes over. I don’t want to say any more about who he is right now as that would be unfair on him. All I’ll say is we are around the same age and he was a very nice guy,” she told The Sun at the time.
Sadly, the couple would later split and during an interview with UK talk show Loose Women, Boyle said she hasn’t dated in the six years since.
What is Susan Boyle’s net worth today?
Susan Boyle is reportedly worth a cool US$40 million (approx. $52 million). Not bad for someone who came runner-up.
For a daily dose of 9Honey, sign up here to receive our top stories straight to your inbox