Susan Boyle, the frumpy spinster turned global singing sensation has gone through to the finals of Britain's Got Talent.
In what was perhaps the least surprising decision of the night, members of the public picked her renditon of 'Memory' from the musical 'Cats' as the best of the eight performances vying for a place in next Saturday's final.
The church volunteer with the untamed hair danced a hip-wiggling little jig when she heard the result, and shouted 'Piersy baby' to Piers Morgan, one of the show's three judges.
Wearing a bronze beaded dress, and with her hair and eyebrows under slightly more control than in her first performance at the auditions last month, Ms Boyle at first appeared nervous as she began singing, but quickly overcame the jitters to give a powerful performance.
The judges joined the audience in a standing ovation and showered her with praise.
Piers Morgan told her: "Susan I thought you looked absolutely beautiful tonight. When the world was going through a pretty tough time along came Susan Boyle to provide it. Thank you Susan."
Simon Cowell apologised for poking fun at her when she first walked on stage for last month's audition and told her: 'You are one special lady, you really are."
Amanda Holden said: "I'm so proud that you represented Britain so well."
She told the audience: "All my life I've driven to prove myself. That I'm not just this little woman from Scotland.
"I just want that chance to perform in front of the Queen," - referring to the final prize, a chance to perform in the Royal Variety Show.
The 48-year-old, who lives alone with her cat Pebbles in Blackburn, insisted she had not felt nervous. "What pressure?" she said. "It was really good tonight. 'I've enjoyed every second. And I'd do it again."
Over 12 million people were expected to tune into ITV to watch the highly anticipated performance by Scotland's most famous - and most unlikely - singing sensation.
At least 60 million people people have viewed her first performance - of 'I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables - on Youtube and she has made appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America.
She is due to record an album with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and a place is being prepared for her in a West End show and a line of Susan Boyle dolls is in production in America.
“Until six weeks ago, the tube I knew of was a tube of Smarties,” she said recently. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the public reaction.”
Also through to the final are the Essex street dancing troupe, Diversity.
Bookmaker William Hill has madeMs Boyle a runaway favorite to win on May 30.
Post a Comment