Susan Boyle suffered a minor stroke in April that left her doubtful over whether she could perform again, the singer told fans.
The Scottish singer rose to fame in 2009 after competing on the third season of the ITV competition Britain’s Got Talent. She impressed the judges with her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical Les Misérables, in one of the show’s biggest viral moments.
She narrowly missed out on winning, eventually coming in second place. The dance group Diversity – led by current Dancing on Ice judge Ashley Banjo – took home first place instead.
Boyle made a surprise appearance during Sunday’s 4 June) grand final of the series, performing alongside the West End cast of Les Misérables at the Eventim Apollo.
Following her performance, Boyle opened up to co-hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly about why she has kept a low profile as of late.
Explaining why, Boyle divulged that she had suffered a stroke only two months ago.
“Susan, it is so lovely to see you, welcome,” said Dec: “It’s hard to believe that you appeared on this show in 2009, 14 years ago.”
Asked how it feels to be back on BGT, Boyle responded: “It feels great. It’s really good.
“It’s extra special for me actually, last April there, I suffered a minor stroke and I thought it’d be crazy to be back on stage and I have done it.”
Show boss Simon Cowell applauded Boyle, revealing that he had known that she had recently been unwell.
Last month, Boyle made a rare appearance as she reunited with Peter Kay during his live comedy tour Peter Kay Live! in Glasgow.
The pair – who previously released their Comic Relief track “I Know Him So Well” in 2011– posed together for a photo.
Last night’s (4 June) grand final of BGT saw Norwegian comedian Viggo Venn crowned the 2023 winner.
Dancer Liliana Clifton, 13, and magician Cillian O’Conner placed in second and third place, respectively.
As the winner, Venn receives a £250,000 prize and a chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance, an annual fundraising event for the Royal Variety Charity.
Previous performers include British-American comedy duo Laurel and Hardy in 1947, the Beatles in 1963, the Supremes in 1967, and the Blue Man Group in 2005.
