It’s hard to believe that more than 15 years have passed since the unassuming Susan Boyle took to the stage of Britain’s Got Talent and blew the world away with her rendition of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables.
Proving that you can never judge a book by its cover, the powerhouse vocalist has gone on to release several albums, tour several times over, and starred in a cohort of movies, TV shows, and documentaries since.
But despite it all, and a net worth totaling in the tens of millions, Susan still lives an ordinary life, choosing to reside in her childhood home in Blackburn, West Lothian – an ex-council house which she purchased for just £111,000, a mere fraction of her wealth!
Scroll on for everything you need to know about Susan Boyle and what her life looks like now.
How did Susan Boyle become famous?
Susan first became famous when her audition for BGT went viral in April 2009. The then-47-year-old sang I Dreamed A Dream from the musical Les Misérables and her rendition quickly garnered her legions of fans.
Judge Simon Cowell later described her audition as “the perfect example of never judging a book by its cover.” In the years since the clip of her three-minute and 40-second performance has racked up more than 100 million views on YouTube.
Ultimately, Susan was crowned runner-up of that year’s BGT and soon after released an album – named I Dreamed a Dream after her popular cover – which sold millions of copies all around the world.
Reflecting on a decade of stardom in an April 2019 interview with PEOPLE, Susan revealed it still came as a “surprise” to her that people still cared about her a decade on from her television debut.
“Fame is such a bizarre concept and has never been my motivator. I just want to sing for people and give them joy, and happiness, suspend reality for a brief time, and entertain.”
Despite quickly rising to fame in 2009 and releasing seven successful albums in the 15 years since then, Susan is rarely seen in public nowadays.
What has happened to Susan Boyle now?
In December 2024, Susan took part in a rare television interview with STV’s Laura Boyd where she opened up about her exciting plans for the future.
“There’s a documentary and I’ve got a drama coming up. Hopefully, a tour – my feet won’t touch the ground, really!”
“I don’t know who is going to play me. I’d like Olivia Colman to play me. She’s a laugh as well and she seems like a happy kind of person.”
Susan will also star in a new Rupert Everett movie which is due for release in the latter half of 2025: “I’m singing the song for it, too!” she shared with the television network.
Prior to this, Susan was last seen in public at the annual Pride of Scotland Awards on May 19th, 2024.
Looking radiant and in a gorgeous salmon-coloured gown, the talented singer was all smiles as she posed for photographers on the red carpet.
WATCH NOW : Susan Boyle reveals she learned to cope with her fame by ‘maturing.’ Article continues after video.
Before this outing, she was last spotted in public in March 2023 when The Knock House Hotel – a hotel located in Co Mayo, Ireland – took to Facebook to share that the “fabulous” Susan had stayed with them not too long ago.
In the hotel’s post, Susan can be seen wearing a yellow raincoat paired with a white cardigan, a white neck scarf, and a white handbag. She’s also sporting dark hair styled in a straight bob; a far but stylish cry from her signature light-brown curls.
Along with the image, the Knock House Hotel shared a sweet caption that read:
“It was our pleasure to welcome Susan Boyle back to Knock House again recently. Susan is a fabulous lady and we always love to see her return time and time again to Knock House Hotel. Pictured here with the lovely Des Dugan from the team at Senior Times LIVE [an Irish publication]!”
Prior to that, Susan wrapped up her last concert tour in 2020. Her most recent post on social media was in July 2023.
Does Susan Boyle have health issues?
In August 2023 the BGT star made the sad revelation that she had experienced a “major” stroke in April 2022 which left her unable to speak or sing and caused significant muscular weakness down one side.
After experiencing one stroke, Susan then became increasingly susceptible to another, meaning that her return to public life had to be carefully managed with intensive vocal coaching lessons which helped to restore both her speech and her singing voice.
Speaking about her ordeal for the first time during an onstage interview with long-running BGT hosts Ant and Dec following a performance on the show, Susan revealed that she had “fought like crazy” to recover and be able to return to the stage.
“It feels great. It is extra special for me, actually, because last April I suffered a minor stroke.”
In a follow-up post shared to her Instagram, Susan shared more about her road to recovery.
“For the past year, I have worked so hard to get my speech and singing back, with the sole aim of being able to sing on stage again & tonight my hard work & perseverance paid off, singing the song that started it all, ‘I Dreamed a Dream…'”
What is Susan Boyle diagnosed with?
In 2012, Susan Boyle revealed that she had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism.
“It was the wrong diagnosis when I was a kid. I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what’s wrong and I feel relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself,” Susan explained in an interview at the time with the Observer.
“It will not make any difference to my life. It’s just a condition that I have to live with and work through,” she added.
Does Susan Boyle have a partner?
In a 2016 interview with Edinburgh Live, Susan discussed her love life for the first time, opening up about her first romantic relationship with an American doctor she met while on tour.
“I don’t want to reveal the doctor’s name. It’s nothing serious at the moment. I will send him a picture of my weight loss – if he’s a good boy! I do enjoy male companionship.”
In a later interview with the same publication, the singer shed new light on her romance, confirming it had come to an end.
“I did have a gentleman friend, a doctor. We went for lunch but I didn’t tell anyone. But if I had a man friend it would be purely platonic – I’ve been on my own too long now to get married.”
She also opened up about whether or not she wanted to have children, revealing that if she went down that route she would have to adopt.
“I would love to adopt a child too but my cat might get jealous. I don’t want to see a cat and a baby fighting. It’s something I might do later.”
