Susan Boyle became an instant sensation throughout the world after she appeared on the third series of Britain’s Got Talent. Although that introduction aired over a decade ago, Boyle has managed a level of staying power rarely seen by TV stars. That performance of the Les Mis classic “I Dreamed a Dream” has been seen millions of times, including the scowling and then shocked face of Simon Cowell. In 2019, Susan showed a new side of herself after she lost 28 pounds in a bid to get healthy and stay on top of her Type 2 Diabetes, which she’d been diagnosed with. Not only is she healthier, but Susan looks absolutely stunning!
Whether you’ve never seen it or have watched Susan Boyle’s audition clip a dozen times, it never fails to impress. Susan Boyle reached international fame after her impressive audition on the third season of Britain’s Got Talent. The episode aired on April 11th, 2009, and the singer blew both the judges — and the audience — away with her powerful rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical Les Miserablés. The audition was so successful that Boyle even was credited for being responsible for a spike in ticket sales for a Vancouver theatre production of the beloved french musical. According to E!Online, Sara-Jeanne Hosie of The Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver said:
“I’m excited that, with her spirit and incredible voice, Susan Boyle has connected people to the beauty and power of this song. But mostly it’s a relief that if I get hit by a bus, the Arts Club knows exactly who to ask to replace me!” Boyle’s audition had an instant and widespread impact that shot her from being on no one’s radar to almost everyone’s Youtube watch list, but that was only the start of her momentum. Only two years after her successful audition, Susan Boyle came out with her own book that told the story of her less-than-glamorous upbringing. “The Woman I was Born to Be: My Story” is Boyle’s memoir that was published by Atria Books of Simon & Schuster in the summer of 2011.
The publisher’s website on the book pegs Boyle as “a modest middle-aged woman from a village in Scotland.” The spot-on description alludes to the rather normal life Susan had before being on television, such as “singing karaoke in local pubs.” The book shot Susan to another level of common household inquiry, as readers were given access to the insights on how “this astonishing transformation has not always been easy for her, faced with all the trappings of celebrity, but in the whirlwind of attention and expectation, she has always found calm and clarity in music. Susan was born to sing.”
The singer’s instantaneous fame changed her life overnight and over the years. However, for some celebrities, these changes are often disastrous. A life of excess and rampant spending is often the mark of quick-found fame. However, Boyle has not fallen into the trap. Despite her incredible success, the Scottish singer has retained a modest life that harkens back to her humble beginnings. Boyle grew up in Blackburn, West Lothian with her parents: father Patrick Boyle and mother Bridget. Patrick Boyle had served in the Second World War, was a miner, and even a singer himself for a point in time. Aside from being a mother, Bridget worked as a shorthand typist. Boyle’s mother Bridget had her when she was 45 years old, and that was her mother’s last kid after having Boyle’s five sisters and four brothers — a big family indeed.
Boyle attended Edinburgh Acting School and was a student under vocal coach Fred O’Neil for singing lessons. After her schooling, Boyle performed at local venues before moving on to bigger stardom. Since achieving fame — through various avenues, but most prominently her participation as a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent — Boyle said she only has one regret, and it centered around her parents Patrick and Bridget. Susan said: “I just wish my mum and dad had been here to see it all. I think they would have been very proud and very happy. But no doubt they are looking down on me.”
With such humble beginnings, it’s understandable that Boyle kept a humble lifestyle. According to OK! UK, she even still lives in her childhood home. She told the Sunday Post in a 2019 interview: “I’ve spent most of my life in this house and I won’t move now, because I feel it’s part of my history.” Despite the appearance of Boyle loving comfort and not necessarily embracing change, she did decide to change something about her daily life — even if it wasn’t her house or publishing her own memoir. Susan Boyle has always been open about her love of sugar. In a Q & A session with The Guardian, Susan Boyle admitted that her guiltiest pleasures are “sweets” and “chocolate especially.”
The charmingly frumpy star seemed to not be one to care much about weight or physical appearance in terms of her body. When asked in the Q & A about what she most disliked regarding her appearance, she answered not about her body, but instead: “The Scottish genes did not bless me with good hair.” According to The Mirror, her doctor noticed her ballooning visage and was concerned about the impact weight gain would have on the organs of the Scottish star. After running some blood tests, her doctor’s suspicions were made true. She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes.org explains that Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and describes it as such:
“Type 2 means that your body doesn’t use insulin properly. And while some people can control their blood sugar levels with healthy eating and exercise, others may need medication or insulin to manage it. ” According to Mayo Clinic, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition and is known for being something that becomes prevalent in adults, as opposed to Type 1 — which becomes apparent earlier in life. The medical difference between the two types aside from age of prevalence is that people with Type 1 diabetes have issues with their bodies producing insulin. With Type 2, it is not that the body initially does not produce insulin, but that it does not respond to it. This can cause a decrease in insulin production later in someone’s life with the disease.
There is, unfortunately, no known cure for Type 2 diabetes, and some people can have it for years without evening being aware that they have it. However, while a diagnosis is not ideal, the organization states that life doesn’t end with Type 2 diabetes and that there are many ways one can improve their well-being. Never one to be kicked down, Boyle took action. She admitted to The Mirror that sweets were her weakness, stating: “I need to stop eating sweeties and cakes. It’s the bane of my life.” With that knowledge in mind, she vowed to kick the sugary habit.
The results weren’t immediate, but they were impressive. Not only was she taking positive steps to impact her health after her diabetes diagnosis, but she lost weight in the process and drastically changed her appearance. Susan Boyle’s weight loss seemed to kick-off a whole slew of transformation for her. Susan Boyle also talked about in her Sunday Post interview some of the ambitions she had before turning 60, some of which were healthy lifestyle goals and changes. The singer said: “As far as short-term ambitions, I’d like to try to ride a bike. I’ve bought a bike for myself, which is sitting out in the summer house. I already have an exercise bike at home that I practice on while I’m watching television. That helps with the weight loss.”
<iframe width=”660″ height=”371″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/RxPZh4AnWyk” title=”Susan Boyle – Britains Got Talent 2009 Episode 1 – Saturday 11th April | HD High Quality” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Leave a Reply