Susan Boyle

by John McShane

  The Geordie hosts stood in between Susan on one side, matronly and tense, and Diversity, all youth and energy, on the other.

  Dec solemnly looked at the camera and intoned, ‘It has been an amazing final tonight. That’s it. One of you is going to win £100,000 and that place on this year’s Royal Variety Performance. Good luck to both of you. The winner of BGT 2009 is…’

  And then he paused. The youngsters were moving around nervously; Susan seemed to be concentrating even harder than usual and was mouthing thoughts to herself.

  A pause for dramatic effect is one thing, but the silence lasted 16 painful seconds before he said to the millions on the edge of their seats ‘…Diversity.’

  The dancers went wild with delight. Susan smiled.

  Dec turned to her and said, ‘With every competition there has to be a runner-up and this year what a fantastic competitor. Susan, how do you feel right now?’

  ‘The best people won,’ was her response, adding, ‘They are very entertaining, lads. I wish you all the best.’

  Dec said to her, ‘That is very gracious. I want to say that on behalf of us all at Britain’s Got Talent, it has been amazing to meet you and we have all shared an amazing journey with you over the last seven weeks, you have been phenomenal. Let’s hear it for the runner-up, Susan Boyle!’

  During this warm tribute from the hosts Susan reacted in typical fashion: she did a semi-curtsey, wiggled her hips and arms, did a small dance and finally raised her skirt above the knee to show the world her left thigh.

  Diversity were still going crazy. They had every right to. Even Simon Cowell had been fulsome in his praise: ‘All bets are off. If I had to give marks on that this would be the only performance tonight that I would give a ten to. I have got to say that when I’m looking at you standing there together, the fact you pulled it all together with not a step out of place, it was sheer and utter perfection.’

  And Amanda Holden had told them: ‘You have practically rendered me speechless. Ashley [Banjo] your choreography is second to none. The rest of your team follows you to the letter. I think you have blown Flawless [the other street-dance finalists] out of the water. There is definitely room for you out there.’

  The waiting world was soon being told the results of the BGT final via news bulletins, the internet and newspaper reports. The story wasn’t, of course, that Diversity had won. That wasn’t the story. The real story, the only one that most people cared about, the information they had been waiting for was the other side of the coin… Susan Boyle had lost!

  Susan Boyle, the odds-on favourite; Susan Boyle, the woman the bookies reckoned had it in the bag; Susan Boyle, one of the most famous, instantly recognisable people on the planet, had not won. She had come second. The viewing public who had to decide who would be the winner had chosen someone else. It seemed barely believable. It was not credible.

  Hadn’t she been on the Oprah Winfrey show for goodness sake? And Larry King, too? Even her cat Pebbles was a celebrity now. Her West Lothian home town had been visited by more film crews than most frontline battle zones. Stars had Tweeted about her, said they would like to sing duets with her, marvelled at her talent. Surely there had been some mistake?

  But there had been no mistake. It seems unkind to Diversity to be anything less than fulsome in praise of them, but many wondered how they could have got more votes than Susan? Perhaps the younger element in the audience had decided Diversity were the ones to choose. Perhaps, just perhaps, the ‘cult’ of SuBo had acted in a perverse way against Susan. Had the negative remarks and reports in some parts of the media about her treatment and her reaction to fame turned the voting public against her?

  Whatever the reason, what had been done was done. She’d lost. Late that night there were some ‘after-match’ quotes from some of the key players in the drama. Dec admitted he was stunned at the result. ‘It’s a shock result, which was good for the show. People have been through mixed feelings about Susan. They loved her one minute and the next they went off her. But what people have to remember is we’ve only seen her sing live three times.’

  Ant added, ‘That lady has had the most phenomenal seven weeks. It might be a blessing in disguise that she didn’t win.’

  Simon Cowell’s view was, ‘Diversity were absolutely incredible. I’m gutted for Susan. She was there at the top all the way through. But she was incredibly gracious. Susan has come out of this very well. We’ve never had a runner-up like Susan before.

  ‘She won over a lot of fans tonight, not just with her voice, but with her graciousness. She’s got a massive future in front of her.’

  The Independent on Sunday told its readers the next morning: ‘Cinderella will not be going to the ball. Susan Boyle, whose singing has transformed her in the past month from a slightly dotty-looking spinster into a worldwide inspiration, last night sensationally lost the final of the show that made her – Britain’s Got Talent.

  ‘Despite an assured reprise of “I Dreamed a Dream”, the song that made her a YouTube phenomenon, she was defeated by the dance troupe Diversity, and so will not get to sing for the Queen, after all. The 10-strong troupe from Essex stood open-mouthed with disbelief as they realised they would leave with a £100,000 cheque and a booking at the Royal Variety Performance. Beside them on the stage, Boyle quivered with nerves. “The best people won”, she said, before wishing them “all the best”.

  “‘As far as we are concerned, she just needs to turn up to win this,” Rupert Adams, of William Hill, had said hours before the show.

  ‘The disappointment capped a tumultuous six weeks for Boyle… She has found sudden fame hard to deal with, and as tension mounted last week she was said to be struggling to cope.’

  The People announced: ‘Dance troupe Diversity were the shock winners of Britain’s Got Talent last night – in a shock defeat of favourite Susan Boyle… Diversity group leader Ashley Banjo was stunned by their victory. The choreographer thanked the millions of viewers who voted for them and said: “I was saying, ‘Guys, second.’ I cannot believe it, I’m going to wake up in a minute.”

  ‘Of the four million votes cast, Diversity won 24.9 per cent, SuBo 20.2 per cent and Julian 16.4 per cent.

  ‘Ashley admitted he believed Susan would win. He said: “I honestly think that the amount of media attention that she’s had, if someone beat her it would have to be one spectacular performance. She has an amazing story, obviously everyone laughed at her when she came on then she began to sing. She’s got an amazing voice and talent. But you never know, I’d like to think we can give her a run for her money.”

  ‘It had long been predicted that Susan, from Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, would snatch the crown.’

  The News of the World had reached its own conclusions as to why she failed to win: ‘Susan Boyle’s shock defeat in the Britain’s Got Talent final was last night blamed on a last minute SuBo backlash. Millions turned against the spinster, from Blackburn, West Lothian, after a four-letter tirade at fans – and switched votes to surprise 12–1 winners Diversity. Host Declan Donnelly said: “People loved her one minute and next they went off her.”’

  The Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, was also taken by surprise. ‘In the end, Susan Boyle’s dream of winning Britain’s Got Talent remained just that. With bookies offering odds of 10–11 that she would clinch victory over the show’s strongest-ever field, last night’s climax was supposed to belong to the 48-year-old Scottish spinster who has become a global phenomenon. But when results of the final public vote were announced, Diversity, a youthful 10-member dance group from Essex, had pushed her into second place, in front of a TV audience of up to 20 million.’

  The Sunday Express confirmed that reaction to the upset was universal: ‘Stunned dancers Diversity jumped for joy and embraced each other in emotional scenes as they were named the winners of ITV1’s Britain’s Got Talent last night.

  ‘The dramatic final had millions of viewers teetering on the edge of their sofas �
� and some may have fallen off at the shock result.

  ‘Bookies greeted the result with relief, as they were set for a £5 million payout if Boyle had taken the title. David Williams of Ladbrokes said: “Susan came unstuck and we’re breathing a huge sigh of relief. We were staring down the barrel of a mega payout on her. Diversity have ridden to the rescue of bookies and we’ll be sending them a bottle of champers. It was a one-horse race all the way up to the weekend and only became interesting at the last minute.”’

  Susan’s fame had been instant; the global village heard and more importantly saw her arrival on the stage of that Glasgow auditorium in practically the blinking of an eye. The same was now true of her failure.

  The New York Post said: ‘She is an internationally acclaimed Internet phenomenon and a symbol of the folly of underestimating people because of the way they look. But in a shocking upset, Susan Boyle, the 47-year-old Scottish church volunteer whose stunning audition for the Britain’s Got Talent TV show last month has been viewed something like 90 million times on YouTube, lost in the final round of the program on Saturday night.

  ‘After the audience votes had been tallied, Ms. Boyle was placed second, beaten by a joyfully innovative dance troupe named Diversity.

  ‘Winners of Britain’s Got Talent, one of a host of talent shows that are among the most-watched programs in Britain, receive about $160,000 and a spot on the roster of the Royal Variety Performance, presented in front of the Queen. Their high profiles also virtually assure that they will have lucrative careers in show business.

  ‘But the same is often true for the runners-up, who in this case included Julian Smith, a soulful saxophonist who was a darling of the studio audience and came in third. And the exposure Ms. Boyle has received since her original audition, culminating in an appearance on Oprah in the United States, means she is a hot property who is virtually guaranteed a recording contract.’

  The New York Times also went big on the sensational result: ‘Frumpy singing sensation Susan Boyle lost in a stunning upset yesterday on the British TV talent show where she had become an international Internet sensation last month with her incredible rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables.

  ‘The UK public picked a dance troupe called Diversity as the winner of Britain’s Got Talent over the Scottish songbird, who came in second out of a group of 10 finalists.

  ‘Diversity’s victory came completely out of left-field, as all signs pointed to victory for Boyle, a lonely, small-town church volunteer who shocked audiences with golden pipes that belied her dowdy appearance. After her defeat, the 48-year-old Boyle curtsied to the audience before delivering her goofy, signature hip shake.’

  And in Chicago, the Tribune wrote: ‘She dreamed a dream, and it very nearly came true. But Susan Boyle’s reality show journey ended Saturday with a second-place finish in the finals of Britain’s Got Talent, an ending that didn’t fit the fairy tale. Instead of the 48-year-old Internet sensation, an exuberant dance troupe called Diversity took the $159,000 prize and will perform for Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety show.

  ‘Boyle paced the stage as the hosts named the top three of the 10 final acts and looked almost relieved when her name was called as the runner-up. She recovered in time to graciously praise the dancers… It had been a tumultuous week for Boyle, a woman previously unused to the limelight. She lost her cool during a confrontation with two reporters, and the police intervened. One contest judge said Boyle had contemplated pulling out of the competition to soothe her frazzled nerves.

  ‘But when she stepped into the spotlight Saturday, Boyle seemed more polished – and animated – than in previous appearances.’

  So unexpected was Susan’s defeat, it even made headlines in Azerbaijan, the Eastern European country on the Caspian Sea. The story there read: ‘Dance group Diversity won the television show Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday night, upsetting Scottish singer and internet sensation Susan Boyle. “The best people won,” Boyle said. The 48-year-old church volunteer had been favoured to win the show. The show winner claims 100,000 British pounds ($161,000) and will perform for Queen Elizabeth II in the Royal Variety Show.’

  Seven weeks earlier she had been unknown outside of Blackburn. Now people in a tiny country at the border of Europe and Asia were eager for news of her fate.

  Back home there was sympathy for her from many quarters. In Scotland, First Minister Alex Salmond said, ‘Over the past couple of months, Susan has wowed the judges and the public with her incredible voice and display of supreme talent, and I’m sure she’s got what it takes to go on and have a hugely successful musical career if that’s what she decides to do. Scotland is very proud of Susan’s incredible singing.’

  Blackburn Community Centre manager Ralph Bell said, ‘We were disappointed that she lost, but we’re still very proud of what she’s achieved. You have to be here to appreciate how much feeling there is for her locally and we said at the beginning of the night, it doesn’t matter what the result is.’

  ‘She’s definitely got a big future,’ he added. ‘You can tell from her performance tonight that she was terrific and long may that continue.’

  Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy revealed he voted for her in every round. ‘Tonight’s performance was spectacular and her best yet,’ he said. ‘Susan is a brave and brilliant talent. She bounced back and showed that she is a real star. She has proven all the cynics and critics wrong. Susan has gone from our favourite underdog to a worldwide phenomenon in just seven special weeks.’

  There were those, however, who thought that failing to win might actually have been a good thing for Susan. Surprising as it may seem, Piers Morgan was one of them. ‘I do think it may turn out to be the best thing that happens to her, coming second. I think she has found a lot of it quite hard to deal with and I think the pressure of actually winning and living up to all that expectation would have just carried on the mayhem for her. I’m only sorry that the extraordinary tidal wave of publicity she attracted meant so many people got either bored or irritated by Boyle mania and decided not to vote for her.’

  Speaking 48 hours after the show, he said, ‘Nobody has had to put up with the kind of attention Susan has had. Nobody could have predicted it. It has been crazy, she has gone from anonymity to being the most downloaded woman in history.’

  He said that the length of time Boyle had to wait between her semi-final performance and the final, a week later, had added to the pressure. ‘It just builds and builds and builds.’

  Unlike the other contestants, she had been subject to attention from international media and Morgan added that: ‘A little bit of negativity crept in. She was very tired and hasn’t been sleeping. She has just gone away to have some time to herself and to sleep and eat, doing all the things she hasn’t been able to do in the last week. Her dream was not to win a talent competition, it was to sing professionally and she will do that.’

  But the disquiet that had existed in some quarters about Susan’s success was about to expand and explode. It would be hard to imagine two newspapers more dissimilar than the Guardian and the News of the World. One an upmarket left-orientated paper for the so-called intelligentsia, the other a mass-market tabloid famous for its blunt and often scandalous views on life and British society. Yet they were both to express similar concern about Susan and her treatment.

  Tanya Gold, writing in the Guardian, had been one of the first to question SuBo mania, not as a criticism of Susan but rather as an examination of the nation’s fascination with her. Her verdict on the final and the result was damning.

  ‘Susan Boyle didn’t win Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday night because she became the wrong kind of victim. We loved her at first, because she was a pitiful, pathetic, unattractive 48-year-old Scottish virgin who lived with a cat – a strange creature in a dull gold dress, who didn’t belong on a stage. And when we heard her singing “I Dreamed a Dream” at her audition we thought: we can change your life. We can make you happy. We can
save you. Behold our kindness, Susan Boyle, and weep tears of happiness.

  ‘In Britain’s Got Talent it is never simply the talent that wins. It is the journey that wins – the story that the British public deems most worthy of reward. Who from the fetid gutter shall we raise up to be a glittering star? Who will be the most appreciative candidate? At first we thought it must be Susan Boyle, who the tabloids nicknamed “the hairy angel”. It is a despicable phrase, but it says everything about what we expected Susan Boyle to be. It means “ugly saint”.

  ‘But last week Susan Boyle began to step out of her journey. It was reported that she was cracking up under the pressure. The “hairy angel” was becoming aggressive. She wasn’t, in fact, an angel, but she was human, and troubled… Susan, we read on, was being counselled by “armies of psychiatrists” as she prepared for the big final on Saturday night. Piers Morgan reported that she had “been in tears repeatedly” and had even packed her bags, ready to walk away from the contest entirely. What’s up, Susan Boyle? Don’t you feel better after all we have given you? Aren’t you grateful?’

  She went on to discuss why we were baffled by the anger Susan showed. ‘It was like realising that Cinderella didn’t have an orgasm on her wedding night – or that Snow White actually hated the dwarves… The deal was – we will save you, but you have to be the kind of victim that we want. You have to be blemish-free and passive and inert. You have to be grateful, and you are not allowed to be confused about it. We will rescue you, Susan Boyle, and you will be rescued. You will exist only for your redemption… We don’t really want to think about what we did to Susan Boyle, before she even stepped on to the stage. And to all the other Susan Boyles whom we ignored and neglected and mocked, because they are ordinary women, without breast implants or an overt sexuality or Amanda Holden’s curiously joyless face… When Susan Boyle sang “I Dreamed a Dream” she offered us a chance to redeem our guilt. But when we realised that we couldn’t save her, and that we couldn’t make it all right with a stupid television talent show, we dropped her, right back where we found her.’