Susan Boyle (9 page)

The exact nature of the performance, including what Susan was going to wear and what she would sing, were still a closely guarded secret. Everyone knew how much was at stake, and everyone realized that Susan’s was the most eagerly anticipated appearance on the show.

‘She has a God-given incredible raw talent and a passion that is second to none,’ said Yvie Burnett, the
Britain’s Got Talent
voice coach, who had worked with many a big star in the past. ‘I have worked with hugely gifted artists, but when it comes to Susan’s genre of music, she is the best I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. She will have the whole nation in tears in the live semi-finals. I’ll be crying too.’

At least one hoped so, for nothing was set in stone yet. All the judges were quick to say that it wasn’t a given that Susan would get through to the final, and at times they seemed impatient about the fuss everyone was making. There were other contestants too, after all - in some cases very good ones - and there was a fear that Susan’s rise to prominence had been so sudden she risked a backlash, although in truth there had been no sign of such a thing.

Yvie put her finger on the many qualities that Susan displayed that had made her so popular. ‘There is a realness and charm about Susan that you can’t help but love,’ she said. ‘She’s a normal woman from a wee village in Scotland who happens to have a stunning voice. I was in America when the show first aired. I was watching the news and the presenter started talking about someone on
British Idol
. I watched in awe as they played her singing “I Dreamed A Dream”. No matter whether she wins or not, I can’t see her jumping into a limo or living a celebrity lifestyle. She was having a right laugh about her mention on
The Simpsons
, and I think it’s her fantastic sense of humour that will help carry her through all the hype.’

She certainly needed something, because the hype was only getting bigger, and at long last, on 24 May, Susan became one of eight acts - there were forty in total - to appear on the first night of the semi-finals. There had been growing reports about backstage nerves, but her performance that night was an utter and absolute triumph.

When the show began, there were clips of Susan’s triumphant audition, interspersed with interviews with Susan and some of the leading players in the drama. Susan was pictured looking dreamily out across the Scottish countryside, and what she had to say about herself was in many ways heartbreaking.

‘All my life I’ve had to prove myself, that I can be accepted and that I’m not the worthless person people think I am, that I do have something to offer,’ she said, and there was certainly proof of that now. Quite what this meant to her and how much she’d wanted this opportunity - and why - was only too apparent. Many people had thought she had nothing to contribute, but she did, and it wasn’t just her magnificent voice either. Susan’s kindness and modesty could not have been more apparent: this was a woman who had spent her life in the service of others, and she had a lot to give, all right.

Next Amanda came on. ‘This one little woman, from a tiny village in Scotland, has got the whole world talking about her,’ she said, and to prove it, news clips were shown from all around the world, lauding Susan. ‘I don’t think she’s really got a clue as to the impact she’s made,’ said Cowell.

Then there was the question of the internet sensation she’d caused, something that was as big a shock to Susan as anyone else. Indeed, she hadn’t really known anything about it, still less how it could play a part in creating a global sensation.

‘YouTube was pretty new to me,’ said Susan. ‘The only tube I knew was a tube of Smarties.’ From such a sheltered background as hers, should this be any surprise?

Susan’s mentors knew exactly what was at stake, though. ‘The whole world is watching Susan Boyle perform tonight,’ said Simon. ‘I wouldn’t want to be standing where she is right now.’

The screen flashed back to Susan. ‘
Britain’s Got Talent
is the chance to turn things around, to fulfill the dream,’ she said. ‘I just want that chance to perform in front of the Queen.’

At last it was time for her to take the stage. The scene switched to the auditorium, the three judges, the empty stage and the ebullient hosts, Ant and Dec, who were enjoying themselves as much as ever.

‘Here she is!’ cried Dec. ‘Please welcome . . . Susan Boyle!’

The mirrored doors at the back of the stage opened and out she came, almost unrecognizable from the Susan Boyle we’d met only six weeks earlier. Here was a middle-aged version of the pretty young girl who had sung ‘The Way We Were’ twenty-five years ago. Her hair had been set in a pleasingly curly style and she was wearing a bronze dress made especially for her. Her face was fully made up, unlike the last time, when she hadn’t worn a spot of make-up. This Susan Boyle was a world-famous performer. Now she just had to give the performance of a lifetime.

Susan looked quite calm as she walked down to the edge of the stage, smiling broadly at the cheering crowd. The music began to swell in the background and it was indeed a song by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the deeply affecting ‘Memory’, which was taken to be a tribute to Susan’s moggy Pebbles since it was from the musical
Cats
.

When Susan began to sing, it seemed as though disaster had struck: she’d started off on the wrong note. Almost immediately, though, she corrected herself, her voice rising and growing stronger than ever above the wildly cheering crowd. She smiled at the audience as she sang, and during the pause in the middle of the song, before resuming again with an exceptionally powerful ‘Touch me . . .’ By now the audience was hollering and Simon, Amanda and Piers were on their feet. Susan had pulled it off.

Of course there was no longer the shock value of a slightly unkempt woman being revealed to have a beautiful voice, but there was also no doubt about her talent. That first performance had not been a one-off. Susan really was a major new talent who, if handled properly, could have a huge career ahead of her. This time there was no awkward attempt to shuffle off stage as soon as she was done; instead, Ant and Dec bounded up to her, telling her to get her breath back and relax. There was a brief interlude as they told viewers which number to call to vote Susan through to the final, before they got on with the bit everyone wanted to hear.

‘Susan, you’ve been waiting all day to do this,’ Dec began. ‘How does it feel?’

‘Fantastic,’ declared Susan emphatically. ‘Absolutely fantastic!’

‘Good girl!’ cried the boys. ‘Susan,’ continued Ant, ‘try to describe what the last few weeks have been like. One hundred million hits on YouTube, you’re in the papers, America - how’s it been?’

‘Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable,’ Susan replied.

‘Did it add to the pressure for tonight, though?’ asked Ant.

‘What pressure?’ asked Susan. ‘It was really good tonight. I really enjoyed myself tonight.’

This got a few more cries of ‘good girl’, before Dec asked if Susan had enjoyed every minute.

‘I’ve enjoyed every second,’ she said. ‘And I’d do it again.’ This elicited more cheers and whoops from the audience, but Susan could have read them the telephone book at that point and they’d have lapped it up. They loved her, and so did the world.

Next it was over to the judges.

‘Susan,’ Piers began. ‘I think you look absolutely beautiful tonight.’

‘Thank you very much,’ interjected Susan, blowing him a kiss.

‘And more importantly, I thought you sang beautifully as well. And the great thing about you, that we’ve all realized, was that 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. And on behalf of the whole world, because they’re all watching you tonight, thank you, Susan.’ This elicited a roar of enthusiasm from the audience, applause and a storm of cheers. Susan beamed and bowed gracefully in return.

Now it was over to Amanda. ‘Susan,’ she began, ‘you’re turning into Eva Peron, it’s fantastic. And I am just so relieved that it went so fantastically well for you. I was biting all my acrylic nails off. You nailed that performance. I’m so proud of you and I’m proud that you represented Britain so brilliantly. Because Piers is right and the world is watching you. So well done and thank you.’

Susan thanked her in reply.

Simon began. ‘Well, Susie [sic], you are one special lady, I have to say,’ he said. ‘You really are. And you know what? I just want to apologize because of the way we treated you before you sang the first time. You’ve made me and everyone else look very stupid and I’m very happy for you and very proud of you.’

Susan lifted her eyebrows and shrugged, saying, ‘I know nothing,’ a few times. She had taken everything the judges and the world at large had thrown at her like a remarkably good sport.

Dec took over again. ‘Thank you very much indeed, judges,’ he said. ‘Susan, great comments. You must be over the moon.’

Susan nodded emphatically. ‘I’m very happy to be here. And thank you all for your support,’ she said, and with that she walked off, waving to the enthusiastic crowd.

Susan went through to the next round along with dance troupe Diversity. They had tied with Natalie Okri, so Simon had to use his casting vote, much to the chagrin of the audience. The other acts that weren’t successful that night were the violinist Sue Son; Darth Vader/Michael Jackson impersonator Darth Jackson; belly dancer Julia Naidenko; comedy dancing duo Faces of Disco; and street performer Nick Hell.

Once again, though, it had been Susan’s night.

The papers were full of praise the next day, with headlines such as ‘Sue Perb!’ and ‘Sue Perstar’. Simon Cowell was now talking seriously about making a film of her life and, whether she won
Britain’s Got Talent
or not, there was almost certainly going to be a CD. Nearly 14 million viewers had tuned in to see the show and the biggest draw, without a doubt, had been Susan.

Susan herself was feeling fine, larking about and enjoying herself. In the aftermath of the show, she bumped into Piers and finally got that kiss: ‘I’ve been kissed now,’ she said impishly before laughing and running away.

‘It was very exciting,’ said a gallant Piers. ‘I felt very proud to be the man who did it, as I thought she looked absolutely beautiful on Sunday.’

And as for that initial bum note, there turned out to be a reason for it: Susan had been struggling with a cold. ‘It was a pretty rocky start to begin with because I sort of hit a croaky note,’ she explained afterwards. ‘That’s because I had a cold, but I said to myself, “I guess you’d better just pick yourself up and keep going,” so all I did was keep going after that and it got better.’

Now there was the final to look forward to.

‘I’m really looking forward to the final and to giving an improved act,’ Susan continued. ‘I really want to fulfill this dream and see it through to the end. I’m feeling really good. The audience reaction was really stunning and it feels really good to have fans all around the world. It’s overwhelming. It’s very hard to put into words.’

As the semi-finals went on, the next two to get through were Flawless and Shaun Smith, both of whom wowed the judges.

‘Earlier tonight on the TV news I said if Susan Boyle doesn’t win this contest I am a doughnut,’ said Piers. ‘I may have to consider the prospect of being a doughnut.’

They were then followed by the Greek dance duo Stavros Flatley and Shaheen Jafargholi.

 

Behind the scenes, there were indications that the strain was beginning to show on Susan. At this stage, the full extent of her learning difficulties hadn’t been made clear, so the public was startled by the erratic behaviour she suddenly began to display.

When she appeared on
Britain’s Got More Talent
, her answers to the questions put to her seemed disjointed and a little eccentric. When she was asked what she thought of a doll that was based on her, instead of answering, she put it beside her nose. Then there was an unfortunate incident at the Wembley Plaza hotel, where all the contestants were staying. A group of them were watching the semi-finals when Piers announced that Shaheen was producing ‘pound for pound the best singing performance in the semi-finals. ’ This was the very same Piers who Susan had admitted having a crush on and who had just boasted about giving Susan her first proper kiss. Susan appeared singularly unable to cope, and allegedly, according to onlookers (although Susan was to deny the incident took place), she gave the TV screen a two-fingered salute and shouted, ‘Fuck off,’ before walking out.

This was neither the language nor the behaviour the country expected of the prim and proper spinster, but it soon emerged that this was the way she used to react when confronted with the irritating juveniles who used to taunt her at home. It was a bit of a jolt to the national consciousness, not least because it was the first time the public realized that Susan’s problems might run a little deeper than simply never having been kissed and living alone.