Susan Boyle's introduction to the world stage started on a high note.Her audition for Britain's Got Talent, a soaring rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream," upended the notion that talent must conform to a certain standard of beauty, one that doesn'tinclude middle-aged, matronly-figured women with untamed eyebrows andfrizzy hair. A You Tube clip--viewed by 280 million people--sparked worldwide media attention and within days the 48-year-old church volunteer from a tiny village in Scotland, was catapaulted to global celebrity.
But there wasn't a Hollywoood ending to her seven-week run on the show. The heavily favored Boyle came in second, losing to an 11-member dance troupe. The next day, she was hospitalization for mental exhaustion.
The finals came at the end of a week of intense media scrutiny and a barrage of negative press. After being provoked by tabloid reporters, she reportedly lashed out with expletive-deleted language. The media went into overdrive, "SuBo Goes Loco," screamed The Sun's headline. British celebrity gossip columnist Neil Sean demonstrated just how mean-spirited the commentary had become when he told abc.com, that if she were to win, "She wouldn't last more than three months. She's ugly, she's not marketable. What are you going to do with her?"
Before the finals, Boyle said, "The pressure put on me this week has been overwhelming." Well, Saturday night she proved she could perform under pressure. She walked onstage, elegantly dressed in a blue-gray sequined gown. She once again sang "I Dreamed a Dream," from Les Miserables. Her voice was strong and confident, and the the stress she had worn on her face vanished as her voice scaled octaves in another glorious performance that brought the audience and the judges to their feet. Asked if it was worth it, she said, "Well worth it. I really feel at home on stage. Of course I do, I'm among friends. Am I not? "Piers Morgan, the judge who has acted as her media bodyguard, deflecting the negative press by defending her in media outlets around the world, declared hers the best performance in the history of the show. Actress Amanda Holden concurred. And Simon Powell, the famously prickly judge commended her for standing up to her critics, and once again, proving them wrong, "I adore you," he told her.Backstage, Boyle told the television audience, "When I step on the stage, it's the accumulation of 40 years of dreaming. A lifelong ambition." While she didn't win the competition, she did succeed in becoming a world-famous singer. And as Piers Morgan told her, "When the world was going through a pretty tough time and was looking for a bit of hope and inspiration, along came Susan Boyle to provide it."
After Susan Boyle defied expectations seven weeks ago, the British public did the same by voting a breakdancing band of boys, aged 12 to 25, the winner. Susan Boyle stood onstage alonside the "lads" as the announcers dragged out the final result. "The best act won," said Boyle. "They are very entertaining. I wish you all the best, lads." She then walked offstage, and a day later she checked herself into a hospital. Morgan was back on the airwaves Monday, reassuring audiences that he had spoken to Boyle and that she was basically fine, emotionally drained and exhausted, but fine. "She just needs to get away for everyone, get away from the show, the media, everyone." Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown was among the well-wishers, telling a television audience that he had spoken to both Cowell and Morgan to check on her, "I hope Susan Boyle is okay. She is a really, really nice person." As for Susan Boyle's dream, "It was never to win a talent competition, her dream was to sing professionally," said Morgan. "She still wants that and I think she will definetly get that chance." Watch Susan Boyle's final performance.
