Dream come true as Susan gets chance to sing with her Cats idol

The Scottish singing spinster is set to duet with her idol on the Cats show tune Memory following her meteoric rise to stardom.

For Susan, 48, it will be a dream realised. She has spent countless hours pretending to be singing along with Elaine in front of her bedroom mirror – using a hairbrush as a microphone.

But her success on the hit ITV1 show means Susan’s fantasy will become reality when she teams up with the theatre star who is said to be “delighted” at the prospect of a collaboration.

Elaine, 61, played Grizabella, the central character in Cats during the West End musical’s debut run in 1981, and performed Memory, the show’s most popular song, to critical acclaim.

Susan, who eventually finished as runner-up on the show, wowed judges Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden as well as millions of TV viewers by performing Memory during the semi-final.

She thrilled fans at the opening night of the Britain’s Got Talent Live Tour in Birmingham on Friday, where others to appear included 10-year-old singer and dancer Hollie Steel, father and son comedy act Stavros Flatley, masked mystery man Darth Jackson, dancers Flawless and show winners Diversity.

A source close to Susan said: “Susan and Elaine are set to record Memory together as a duet single.

“From what I gather, Elaine’s people were in the audience at the Birmingham show and loved what they saw. They were apparently straight on the phone to Elaine after Susan’s performance and she was delighted at the thought of their performing together.”

Susan’s performances on the TV talent show have won her a host of celebrity fans from around the world, including Oprah Winfrey, Jay Leno and Demi Moore.

Speaking before last month’s final, Elaine said: “Her performance has captured the hearts of everyone who saw it, me included. It looks like I have competition! Perhaps we should record a duet? She is a role model for everyone who has a dream.”

Susan’s performance on Friday night was her first since being treated for exhaustion at the Priory Clinic in London.

The 5,000-capacity crowd at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena gave her a standing ovation.

Despite concerns for her health, she was said to be in high spirits back stage, even impressing dance troupe Diversity with a few moves of her own.

Ian McNaughton, 25, the oldest member of the Essex outfit, said: “She was understandably nervous before going out but that was the same for everyone. She is a really nice lady. She was joking around with everyone back stage, making everyone laugh.

“At one point she even rehearsed a couple of dance moves with us and to be fair she is quite slick. She has got a bit of a groove going on.

“If any of us pick up an injury in the future, we’ve got the ideal replacement.”

The 19-date Britain’s Got Talent tour rolls on to Manchester this afternoon and finishes at Bournemouth on July 5.