Contestant surprised Simon Cowell on British TV and becomes an overnight sensation-Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
A forwarded email with a YouTube video link of a live audition of a woman named Susan Boyle who overnight became a world wide sensation. She walked on stage before a live audience on the Britain’s Got Talent television program and surprised the talent judges, including Simon Cowell of American Idol fame.
The Truth:
Susan Boyle is 47 years old, a native of a small village in the Blackburn area of Scotland and has never made a living singing professionally.
Britain’s Got Talent is a television program aired on the ITV network in the United Kingdom. The program auditions undiscovered performers of all types of acts and after weeks of competing and eliminations the winner gets to perform for Queen Elizabeth II. This program is in the third season and every year has produced some pleasant surprises. The talent judges are record producer Simon Cowell, actress Amanda Holden and journalist Piers Morgan.
On 11 April 2009, the first round of the competition began. Boyle walked on stage and introduced herself to the judges and the audience telling the judges that she had always wanted to become a singer but was never given a chance. When asked of her ambitions she said, “I wanna be like Elaine Paige,” the noted first lady of British Musical Theatre and star of Evita, Cats, and Sunset Boulevard.
Boyle then surprised the judges, an audience of 4000 and viewers at home with a stunning performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables.
Fans have posted video clips of this performance on the popular YouTube web site, some tallying as many as 800,000 hits within a 24 hour period.
Fans and well wishers have posted their wishes on Boyle’s bio page on the ITV web site.
Click for official ITV video of Susan Boyles audition on Britain’s Got Talent.
updated 04/15/09