Susan Boyle

by John McShane

  ‘We’re surprised and very happy she has got this far. This is exactly what Susan has wanted to do since she was a little girl. It’s amazing that her dream has become a reality. She didn’t imagine it would be on this scale. She has come from complete obscurity. I think in these times of depression, it’s wonderful to have a story that makes everyone feel great.’

  Speculation over Susan was at such a peak that the day before the final, a spokesman for the show felt compelled to say, ‘There is no truth whatsoever that Susan Boyle is leaving the show.’

  It was a good job, as up in Blackburn preparations were underway for the Big Day.

  Susan’s neighbours on Yule Terrace – where new wooden fencing been erected by the council shortly after her first television appearance – had already strung bunting across the street and were hoping to have a giant TV screen installed in time for a massive street party. At the nearby community centre dozens of friends were getting ready to celebrate long into the night if she could pull off her dream.

  Manager Ralph Bell said, ‘We are expecting four or five hundred people to turn up and have had to move the party from the smaller hall to the basketball courts and have also had to get a risk assessment done. Hopefully we’ll have a homecoming party for her, too.’

  The Happy Valley was also gearing up for action. ‘We are having a party from 7pm until 1am so we can watch the show and then celebrate afterwards once she has won,’ one member of staff confidently predicted.

  Shops and houses in Blackburn were pasting her image on their windows or hanging flags and banners saying ‘Go Susan’ and ‘Blackburn’s Got Talent’.

  The local Ladbrokes betting shop expected it to be a busy day. ‘People who don’t normally bet will have a go, Susan-mania has really hit and it’s great to see spirits so high because little else has happened like this around here,’ a member of staff commented.

  Letters from around the world had been flooding into the local Post Office. A neighbour collected them for Susan on occasions and once even took delivery of a cake made in SuBo’s image.

  Two tourists from Philadelphia, who had been visiting Edinburgh, decided to drive to Blackburn and stand outside her home, waiting for a glimpse of Susan. Eventually a neighbour told them she was away, let them in to use the bathroom and made them a cup of tea.’

  Provost Tom Kerr said the Boyle phenomenon was good for the area. ‘We are delighted by anything that promotes and publicises Blackburn and the West Lothian area worldwide. We always knew we had a lot of talent in the area. If Susan wins, we will be having some sort of civic reception,’ he added.

  ‘If she wins…’ She was the bookmakers’ favourite and, in spite of the somewhat bizarre incidents that week, it looked as though nothing would stop her from winning that £100,000 and singing in front of the Queen. But there were still many twists and turns left in the short, yet eventful, singing life of Susan Boyle.

  CHAPTER NINE

  REALITY BITES

  The bookmakers had Susan as their firm favourite to walk off with the Britain’s Got Talent title, and bookmakers are not in the habit of making too many mistakes.

  Despite the problems of the week leading up to the final, the outbursts – real, imaginary or exaggerated – the flight to the safe house and the strange behaviour, Susan was still the one to beat in the eyes of the men and women who set the odds.

  One supporter from Devon backed her to win to the tune of £7,000. Over £3 million in total was placed on the outcome of the contest – an amazing example of how reality TV betting, which had taken off with the arrival of Big Brother, was now big business.

  The FA Cup final 2009 between Chelsea and Everton coincided with the day of the BGT final and they were now equal in their importance to the bookmakers.

  A spokesman for one of the large bookmakers said, ‘Five years ago the idea of a TV programme competing with the FA Cup final would have been laughable, but now we’ve given them equal space.

  ‘Big Brother got the ball rolling and that really changed betting in quite a big way,’ he said. ‘All the reality television that came after that, from your Pop Idol to The X Factor and now Britain’s Got Talent, brought in a completely new betting clientele. People who wouldn’t have dreamt of putting a bet on the horses or a football match, but reality TV was something they knew about.’

  William Hill was offering odds of 10/11 after a surge in betting and a spokesman said, ‘We briefly offered Susan Boyle at 11/10 – a price that proved too tempting for punters. As far as we are concerned she just needs to turn up to win this.’

  The judges, too, were ultra-supportive. Simon Cowell revealed that he’d had a heart-to-heart with the nervous songbird, assuring her protection against any threat to her health, telling her, ‘You’ve come so far, don’t give up on your dream now. I have never known anything like this in my whole career.

  ‘I just wanted to make sure she was OK. I told her I would help her in any way I can. She has earned the right to be in that final and I didn’t want her to miss out on her big night.’

  Amanda Holden said, ‘She will definitely be in the final. She won’t let the pressure get to her and she’ll do a great job. Hopefully she will sing “I Dreamed A Dream”, which is what everybody would love her to do. She’s not going to quit. I think she did have her bags packed at one stage, but I think basically that was just because she was feeling so sad and upset.

  ‘You can’t train somebody in four weeks to handle this kind of attention. She is under a lot of pressure but no one can blame her – I still think she could win it.’

  Piers Morgan was even more up-front. ‘My bet is that she will respond with the performance of her life. This is one tough lady who has had to fight since the day she was born, and there is no way she’s going to quit now, trust me. Susan’s going to be a major star whatever happens. And I hope she nails it on the night, and shoves all these vile critics’ disgraceful attacks down their throats.’

  Demi Moore, who at one stage had been rumoured to be flying over to see the final, said, ‘The whole world is rooting for you whatever the outcome. You have nothing to lose – just keep sharing your light.’

  Elaine Paige too was in Susan’s corner. ‘I’ll be watching with my fingers crossed for you,’ she said. Even Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State and wife of the former President, said Boyle was ‘an inspiration’ who was admired across America. ‘She has risen to fame, with millions of admirers here, all on her amazing talent and a prayer. In these trying times this should be a lesson and a shining example of substance over mere packaging.’

  Royalty wasn’t immune to the attraction of the show, either, although not totally in Susan’s favour. Prince Harry was on an official visit to New York when he was asked what he thought of Susan. He pulled a face and said, ‘Er, actually I really like the saxophone player.’

  Susan was probably unaware of what the young prince thought – or of the fact that SuBo Mania had spread to eBay. On the day of the final there were 300-plus items linked, albeit it very vaguely, with her. There was an astonishing range of goods, from mouse mats to key rings, fridge magnets to clocks. Admirers could even buy a replica gold dress similar to the one she first wore at the Glasgow audition.

  CDs of Susan singing ‘Cry Me a River’ during that charity recording were still fetching hundreds of pounds, while a Susan Boyle internet domain name was on the market for £327. There was a Susan Boyle novelty £1 million banknote for £1.27, fridge magnets for £1.99, ‘I Love Susan Boyle’ T-shirts for £7.99 and a kitchen clock for £3.99. ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ mugs for £9.35 from the United States, or even a 1934 Musical Powder Puff Box, programmed with her song, for £8.10. Pillowcases (£7.99), Susan Boyle ‘Hell Yeah’ car number plates (£9.95), a cuddly dog toy with Susan Boyle eyebrows (99p), leather jewellery cases from Malaysia (£9.97) and ‘Kiss Me Susan Boyle’ T-shirts (£10.99) were among the more unusual items.

  There were a number of oil paintings of her too, usually based on h
er audition. By the morning of the final, ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ had been watched more than 220 million times on YouTube and the frenzy showed no sign of abating: ‘Memory’ had already been viewed by 16.8 million people in the five days since it had been broadcast.

  Those figures showed how the impact she had made dwarfed the interest shown in her rivals and the odds the bookmakers were quoting also showed how far behind Susan it was thought all the other competitors were in the race for the title.

  The strange mixture of young and old who made up the nine other acts who all hoped to defeat the favourite in front of an anticipated audience of 20 million was as follows:

  STAVROS FLATLEY: 8/1

  Third favourites to win, Demetrios Demetriou, 41, and son Mikalakis, 12, the father-and-son Greek comedy dance act from north London, had built a large fan-base with their spoof dance act.

  SHAUN SMITH: 25/1

  A handsome, rugby-playing 17-year-old from Lichfield, Staffs, tipped as the dark horse of this year’s competition. His rendition of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ at his audition was stunning and he swept through to the final with U2’s ‘With or Without You’.

  SHAHEEN JAFARGHOLI: 6/1

  The second favourite with his own celebrity fans including Lily Allen, Sir Tom Jones and Beyoncé. The 12-year-old from Wales was seen as the most dangerous rival to Susan.

  FLAWLESS: 10/1

  Their name says it all. Impeccable timing and choreography had made some viewers believe that this 10-strong dance group of north Londoners could win.

  JULIAN SMITH: 12/1

  The shy and unassuming self-taught Brummie saxophonist wowed the judges and the audience at his audition and semi-final.

  TWO GRAND: 33/1

  Grandfather and granddaughter singers John O’Neil, 76, and Sallie Lax, 12, from Doncaster. The duo were so over-sweet in their performance that Simon Cowell likened them to ‘having seven sugars in your tea’.

  DIVERSITY: 10/1

  This 10-strong band of brothers and friends were giving fellow dance troupe Flawless a run for their money.

  AIDAN DAVIS: 25/1

  The 11-year-old hip-hop dancer, who Simon Cowell said was ‘super, super, super talented’, body-popped his way to the final.

  HOLLIE STEEL: 25/1

  Simon Cowell had called the Lancashire ten-year-old ‘the bravest girl in the world’. Hollie burst into tears during her first attempt at singing ‘Edelweiss’ – after a hug from her mother she was allowed to take to the stage again when she delivered a note-perfect performance.

  The excitement was mounting around the world, although Susan’s brother, John Boyle, appeared to have his feelings more under control than many.

  He travelled almost 400 miles from his home in Blackburn to London for the BGT final on Saturday but decided not to attend the final, choosing to visit relatives instead.

  ‘It [the show] can go on for three hours and it can get boring after a while. I travelled to London, but I took the decision not to go to the studio. I went to my niece’s house in London to spend the night there,’ he revealed. ‘It was a deliberate decision on my part. Susan had plenty of people there backing her. I thought it was better to let the youngsters in the family go along instead.’

  Whether or not he was present, Susan was apparently revving up for her chance. ‘I want nothing more than to stay and sing in the Britain’s Got Talent final. I’ve spent weeks rehearsing. It’s all I’ve been thinking about. I’m not going to throw away my big chance now.’

  Piers Morgan said she was in ‘very good spirits’ before the show, in spite of her outburst during the week. ‘They have a whole army of doctors, psychiatrists and experts available to any contestant at any time. They have all been taking great care of Susan. Susan Boyle is a very, very nice lady from Scotland who never thought she would have this chance and she is really looking forward to it.’

  One of the other finalists, 73-year-old break-dancer Fred Bowers, viewed things slightly differently and was quoted as saying that she alienated fellow contestants. ‘We’ve realised she can be really aggressive. One minute she’s laughing and then she turns.’

  Others, who had known her longer than Morgan or Bowers, had their own view on Susan and her temperament. Doug Malloy, a bass player who had accompanied her for 20 years, said, ‘Susan is a really nice person, but she is highly strung. If you were backing her and you hit a bum note, she would give you this look, one of those that can kill. She will not put up with people talking in the audience when she is singing. She would throw a tantrum right there on stage.’

  Arthur Murray, 66, a guitarist and another of her long-time backing musicians, said, ‘There is no question about her ability as a singer. When I backed her, she used to do some stuff from the Carpenters, and she also loved musicals, like Jesus Christ Superstar. Everybody here knows she is a great singer, but because of her problems, people just don’t seem to take her seriously. I always knew she had the talent to make it big, but I would have been worried about her temperament. With Susan, you would never know what to expect. When she was on form, she was unbeatable.’

  So, would she be unbeatable that night of 30 May 2009, in front of what turned out to be the largest television audience in Britain since England played Portugal in the 2006 World Cup finals? What those millions at home didn’t know was what was going through her head. This is how she later put it:

  ‘With no pressure on top of me and suddenly all this pressure, I found it a bit suffocating. I was feeling very anxious during the final. It got so bad I was actually staring at the walls. I didn’t want to know anybody.’

  What torment must have been going on inside her at that moment when Ant and Dec introduced her, the eighth act on stage? Yet there she was, standing alone on stage in her elegant blue, full-length dress literally in the spotlight, having to perform again. And she was magnificent.

  The nerves of ‘Memory’ a week earlier were forgotten as she chose to reprise her audition song, ‘I Dreamed A Dream’. At times she seemed to be screwing up her face as though looking at some downward, distant object through a mist, as though the doubts of the previous week were sitting like demons on her shoulders. At other moments she shook her head defiantly to the side and back again in some Judy Garland-esque gesture of defiance, a movement that brought a fleeting, almost paternal, smile from Simon Cowell.

  Then, the ‘ordeal’ over, came the questions. Ant said, ‘Well done Susan, fantastic reaction, all the judges on their feet. How was that for you? You have had a lot of pressure on you this week, but you went out there and performed and it seemed like you really enjoyed that.’ Susan replied, ‘I would like to thank people and all the support they have given me, especially the people at home, the people in the audience. I’d like to thank everyone for all their support.’

  Dec asked, ‘It has been a week with a lot of pressure for all the acts, none more so than you, but was that worth it, in front of everyone here?’ ‘Well worth it! Well worth everything,’ Susan replied.

  ‘That’s where you really feel at home isn’t it, on stage?’ enquired Ant. Susan nodded, saying, ‘I really feel at home on stage, of course I do, I am among friends, am I not?’

  Then it was the judges’ turn to give their verdicts on the woman who had captured the imagination of the world.

  Piers Morgan was first: ‘Wow, Susan, you’ve had a very difficult week. You have had an amazing seven weeks, but a very difficult week where you have been the centre of the world’s attention. There have been negative headlines, you have been boiling over, cracking up, going to quit the show, all this kind of thing. And quietly all I kept thinking to myself was, all you have to do to answer all your critics, is walk down that stage to that microphone, sing the song that we all fell in love with, sing it better than you did last time.’

  At that last remark, Susan rolled her eyes in pleasant surprise.

  ‘Susan,’ he continued, ‘I’m not supposed to favour anyone as a judge, I should be impartial, but you know w
hat, forget it, that to me was the greatest performance I’ve seen in Britain’s Got Talent history. You should win this competition. I loved it.’

  At this Susan put her hands to her face, turned around and tapped the back of her head.

  Amanda Holden was next: ‘Susan, I have never heard such powerful, confident vocals. You absolutely, you sang it so well this evening and I just echo what Piers said really. You, out of everybody this week, have been under an enormous amount of pressure. But you did it girl. You did it for Scotland and you did it for Great Britain. And, can I just say, Simon had a tear in his eye and I’ve never seen that before.’

  Finally came Simon Cowell’s judgement: ‘Susan, I don’t know who’s going to win this competition. But you know you have had a weird seven weeks and you had every right to walk away from this.

  ‘You could have had a lot of stuff coming your way in America and a lot of people said you shouldn’t even be in this competition, that you are not equipped to deal with it. For what? For you to sit at home with your cat and say, “I’ve missed an opportunity.” I completely disagree with that.’

  In the midst of his speech, Susan gently stroked one of her hands with the other.

  ‘And you know, win or lose, you have the guts to come back here tonight, face your critics and you beat them. And that’s the most important thing. Whatever happens Susan, I’ve got to know the real Susan Boyle, which is not the person I’ve seen portrayed in the media, who is still a very nice, shy person who just wants a break. You can walk away from this with your head held high. Susan. I absolutely adore you.’

  The viewers’ votes had to be counted and that meant all ten acts stood on stage. Ant and Dec announced the top three: first to be revealed was Susan, followed by Diversity and then came Julian Smith. Everything seemed to be on course. The bookmakers were on the point of losing the £5 million riding on Susan. Third place belonged to Julian Smith, Ant and Dec announced, and after a few words from the soulful saxophonist he walked off stage.