Susan Boyle: America's 'woman of the year'
IT is a long way from the bright lights of Broadway to the doorstep of a British council house.
But singing sensation Susan Boyle appeared to have made the transition with ease as she answered the door yesterday in dressing gown and pyjamas.
Susan, 48, looked remarkably relaxed in her polka-dot nightwear despite a whirlwind week which saw her perform live in Rockefeller Plaza, New York.
She even managed to pull a funny face for the cameras, suggesting that fame and fortune are unlikely to go to her head.
Boyle’s dazzling 2009 was capped by her being named as one of America’s People Of The Year. Before returning home to Blackburn, West Lothian, Susan gave a candid interview on American television.
The cat-loving spinster also saw her name in lights as she appeared in a Thanksgiving special which also honoured airline pilot Chesley Sullenberger.
He was hailed a hero for saving all 155 people on board his plane when its engines failed over New York in January. He landed it in the Hudson river.
Susan told her TV interviewer: “There was a lot of attention. I asked myself, ‘How do you cope with all this?’
“I did have a period of self-doubt where I felt I wasn’t good enough. And there are times when, because I’m shy, I wished it would all go away. Sometimes you do think that, it’s only human nature.”
She also spoke about overcoming her learning difficulties caused by slight oxygen deprivation at birth.
She said: “I do have a slight disability – I had difficulty trying to express myself properly and music is a release for me. I’ve grown up a bit, I’m more of a lady. I accept now that my life will never be the same and I don’t want it to end.
“It’s OK. It’s comfortable on my shoulders right now. I don’t feel pressure, I feel a sense of humility.”
The Britain’s Got Talent star is no stranger to the stress caused by sudden fame. She struggled to cope after losing to dance troupe Diversity in the show’s final earlier this year.
On the verge of a breakdown, she checked into a private clinic. Her debut album I Dreamed A Dream is set to go to No1 this weekend.
Susan is refusing to let any money she makes go to her head, insisting she will just buy the council house she shares with Pebbles her cat.
