Where is Susan Boyle now? Everything about the singer’s life today

Susan Boyle is almost unrecognizable more than 16 years after her first success in Britain’s Got Talent.

In October 2025, the Scottish singer showed off her brand new look – complete with blonde hair – while walking the red carpet at the Pride of Britain Awards in London. The transformation came years after Boyle captured the hearts of viewers in the UK and beyond following his April 2009 show. Britain’s Got Talent hearing.

Boyle, who was 47 at the time, sang “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables for her audition for season 3 in what was described by Britain’s Got Talent as “one of the most unforgettable auditions” in the show’s history. Her performance shocked both the audience and judges Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden, and she made it to the top 40 semi-finalists.

Well over a decade after Boyle, Cowell and America’s Got Talent host Terry Crews reflected on this moment in a July 2023 video shared on YouTube. Cowell noted that he would “never forget” the moment, telling Crews: “I had a terrible, terrible day and I remember saying, ‘I really, really hope she doesn’t sing,’ because there were so many bad singers that day and I thought, ‘I just can’t take another one.’ ”

Although Cowell said the panel of judges had low expectations about Boyle’s audition, he said the singer was “the perfect example of ‘never judge a book by its cover.’ »

Looking back on her career in April 2019, Boyle told PEOPLE that the “biggest surprise” was that she was still going 10 years later. She explained: “Fame is such a weird concept and has never been my motivation. I just want to sing for people and give them joy, happiness, suspend reality for a brief moment and entertain.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Susan Boyle and where she is now.

Who is Susan Boyle?

Boyle is a singer from Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. Before auditioning for Britain’s Got TalentBoyle continued her musical career alone, telling The guardian in April 2009 that she comes “from a family of musicians” and that she has been singing since the age of 12.

She then studied at the Edinburgh Acting School and participated in the Edinburgh Fringe performing arts festival. She also appeared on television on the ITV show. My kind of people “for fun” and played locally.

After taking time off to care for his late mother, who died in 2007, Boyle wanted to audition for Britain’s Got Talent after watching Paul Potts compete and become a celebrity. Firstly, she attended an audition in Glasgow before being sent for her second audition in front of a panel of judges consisting of Cowell, Morgan and Holden.

“I expected people to be a little cynical,” Boyle said. The guardian. “But I decided to win them over. That’s what you do. They didn’t know what to expect. Before Britain has talent, I never had a real chance. It’s that simple. You just have to keep going and take one step at a time and one day you will get there. Don’t give up.”

Did Susan Boyle win Britain’s Got Talent?

After Boyle’s famous audition, she was one of 40 performers who advanced to the semi-finals of the show. However, his journey on Britain’s Got Talent was not without difficult moments.

Due to constant attention from the press and paparazzi, Boyle went into hiding, but she managed to get out so as not to “waste my big chance now.”

During the first semi-final of the show, she performed “Memory” by Cats. The Scottish singer would eventually progress to the final, but came in second place behind dance group Diversity.

What happened to Susan Boyle’s career after Britain’s Got Talent?

Boyle became a worldwide sensation the moment the video of his audition hit the Internet. In April 2009, she had what was billed as her “first US performance” on The first show on CBS where she sang “I Dreamed a Dream” and received praise from Patti LuPone.

In November 2009, she was back promoting her music in the United States, this time appearing on the NBC show. Today to show to promote his debut studio album, named after the iconic Les Miserables adjust.

She reflected on the “instant fame” she experienced after the talent show in a January 2019 interview with PEOPLE, explaining that she went “from being an unknown little lady with a cat in Scotland to being recognized everywhere I went.”

“I really didn’t understand how far the audition clip went!” she added. “In 2009, I said my whole life that I had been an outsider and now I am a part of it, and that remains true today.”

Boyle has released eight studio albums throughout his career, including his debut, The gift in 2010, Someone to watch over me in 2011, Standing Ovation: the biggest songs from the scene in 2012, Home for Christmas in 2013, Hope in 2014, A wonderful world in 2016 and Ten in 2019.

She has also toured several times, including with other finalists from Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, as well as her 2013 to 2014 “Susan Boyle in Concert” tour.

Outside of music, Boyle has published his autobiography The woman I was born to be: my story in 2010. She also has a few acting credits under her belt, including 2013’s The Christmas candle and an appearance on the BBC River town in 2021.

Did Susan Boyle win America’s Got Talent: Champions?

Since her first stint on the show, Boyle has returned to Britain’s Got Talent stage and made appearances on its American counterpart, America has talent, over the years.

Boyle continued to compete on television again in 2019. America’s Got Talent: Champions. She said second place in 2009 was a “broken promise” and that she couldn’t wait to show Cowell “how much I’ve grown since he last saw me.”

After singing “Wild Horses” for her audition song, which she had previously sung on Britain has talent, she received the Golden Buzzer for Mel B. Boyle’s final performance, which included another throwback, with the singer performing “I Dreamed A Dream” again.

Over the years, Boyle sang the Broadway hit several times. She shared her reasons for covering the song with PEOPLE in August 2019, explaining, “It’s something I can relate to. It’s about a lady who, more or less, was left alone with nothing. A lot of things were taken away from her and she had to rebuild her life.”

Even though he was a finalist in the top 12 of Champions, Boyle was not crowned winner in the inaugural season. Although she didn’t win, Boyle had a positive outlook on the results, telling PEOPLE, “I’m so lucky to have a great career to return to.”

“Of course, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but also, deep down, I didn’t think I would win,” she added. “Secretly, you keep hoping that you could do it because that’s what drives you to do your best in a competition. I’ve never really considered myself a champion, I’m just me, Susan Boyle.”

Where is Susan Boyle now?

Outside of her music career, Boyle has spoken about her personal life since gaining worldwide fame.

In 2013, she revealed her diagnosis with autism spectrum disorder, formerly called Asperger’s syndrome, and how it affected her life and career. The following year, Boyle opened up about her love life, sharing that she was dating her first boyfriend, a doctor she met while on tour.

She has also been candid about her love for children. During a podcast in June 2019, she spoke about her desire to start a family and her regrets about not having children. Boyle explained, “Well, when things calm down a little bit, maybe I’d like to go to foster care.”

Boyle has also faced other health issues in recent years. In April 2022, she suffered a stroke, which she spoke about in June 2023. At the time, Boyle said her performance was “awesome”, adding: “It’s very special to me actually because last April I suffered a minor stroke.

On social media, she shared more details about her health scare from the previous year and how she worked to recover in the year since. She wrote in part: “Over the past year, I have worked so hard to regain my speaking and singing, with the sole goal of being able to sing on stage again. »

As for her career, Boyle is still drawn to the stage, which she calls her “happy place.” She told PEOPLE in January 2019: “I get great pleasure from making audiences happy. My career has never been about making money or even charting, I just love being on stage and singing.”

Regarding how she handled her fame, she said she was “a regular Susan Boyle” when she was at home and never wanted to “become a diva.”

In October 2025, Boyle showed off a glamorous new look while attending the Pride of Britain Awards and shared photos from the red carpet on Instagram.

“It was such an honor to celebrate so many truly inspiring people,” Boyle wrote. “Everyone was absolutely fabulous, and it was lovely to see some familiar faces again, including the brilliant Anne Hegerty (I’m a huge fan of The Chase)! An evening full of pride, joy and admiration for incredible heroes.”