16/04/2009 / UK

Unemployed un-kissed 47-year-old to win 'Britain's Got Talent'?

Photo © Britain's Got Talent.

The latest woman to wow YouTube is quite the opposite of what we're used to. Unlike the majority of video clip fodder, Susan Boyle is highly unattractive and greatly talented. And everyone loves her. A fairytale come true, or a showbiz fake?

The frumpily dressed 47-year-old charity volunteer astonished crowds on UK TV show "Britain's Got Talent", which pulled in an audience of over 10 million on Saturday night when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables". In an interview posted on the programme's website the Scot explained that she had ignored her talent because of "personal circumstances", but that she sung in village competitions and "around the house" (in which she lives alone, save her cat, Pebbles, apparently). The story has become a massive online hit in both the UK and elsewhere, but it all seems a little too contrived. Another question, if she is the real thing, is whether she'll be able to make it without a serious makeover and a change-of-name.

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What a voice ! A had tears

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Mon, 20/04/2009 - 14:32.

What a voice !
A had tears in my eyes !
Mary-Lucie

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Susan where have you been

Submitted by allan (not verified) on Sun, 26/04/2009 - 01:37.

Susan
where have you been all these years you are fantastic you will go on and win
britain as talent allan

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GOOD PEOPLE

Submitted by DARREN MICHIE (not verified) on Sat, 18/04/2009 - 01:04.

This is way off the mark ,nowadays we are so wrappd up on looks,wealth, etc, we have lost our moral way of seeing people for WHO they are , and to think Ecosse formed AN alliance with this country .must try harder , Susan did try and shone thru. bravo.

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yes this is the ''modern''

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 19/04/2009 - 11:18.

yes this is the ''modern'' world now. clothes and strange haircut and he/she is a modern ''person''. Thanks Susan because you are making the modern world thinking twice before judging. Now ''modern people'' want to be like you and want to work with you may be he will earn some money trough your magic voice. he/she will be the slave of your voice.

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Yeah whoever submitted the

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 17/04/2009 - 22:58.

Yeah whoever submitted the caption is obviously a sad sad person. Susan Boyle however has an amazing voice...even if I remain suspicious...she cannot sing so well and not already be a professional and successful singer....

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Whoever wrote the caption

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 17/04/2009 - 21:35.

Whoever wrote the caption for the picture is an ass

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Agree! If she's a fake, where's the first shred of evidence?

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sat, 18/04/2009 - 14:33.

"A fairytale come true, or a showbiz fake?"

That sort of hand grenade requires some substantiation. Without it, it only serves to poison people's opinions.

It's a fair question for a news organization to ask, but no attempt is made to answer it here. I assume that there is nothing to back it up...so either pull it or admit that nothing was found. Just posing the question itself and saying nothing more is a jackass move, as it attempts to discredit her without any basis for doing so.

That makes three "No" votes for this caption!

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Agree for the two comments

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sat, 18/04/2009 - 00:17.

Agree for the two comments earlier. For once, he or she should learn the fact that ordinary people DO have extraordinary things to share with others when they are given chance to do it. And what the status or personal life details have to do with her voice?? She CAN sing, that is all that matters, geeezz...

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What are you all talking

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sat, 18/04/2009 - 11:48.

What are you all talking about, it says she's "greatly talented". The fact that you all think it's negative to say she's "highly unnatractive" shows just how shallow you are. In my book talent is more important than looks, but you don't seem to share the same view. Bravo to Susan; and not just for being a talented singer, but for not giving a shit about Western obsession with appearances. In that sense, being highly unnatractive is a good thing (I'd rather look like her than a made-up, boob-jobbed American).

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Having talked to a few

Submitted by sigma421 on Sun, 19/04/2009 - 18:30.

Having talked to a few people (friends of friends type stuff) who know of her she has previously been a pub singer and done the odd bit of singing in church/choirs etc. Her voice is genuine and she has had no professional training. Also the story is nastily written and I'm more than willing to do a rewrite if you want.

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sigma421

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Response to all from Team Observers

Submitted by Team Observers on Mon, 20/04/2009 - 09:57.

In reply to all of the comments.

Firstly an apology to those who took offence to the introduction. About Boyle being unattractive; it would be difficult to deny that. If she weren't, then there would never have been such a hullabaloo (see Guardian article), and this story would never have been written. We also said she was greatly talented.

Secondly - about her being a showbiz fake. We agree that there was no evidence to back up this claim - it was simply a question for you to debate, and remains unfounded. Sorry again for those who were offended by the idea.

Finally, the last line did not mean to advocate a makeover. Quite the opposite! We were questioning whether she would be able to continue with her natural look in the appearance-obsessed showbiz world (see Telegraph article).

The reason we enjoyed this story is because it was endearing. In no way did we mean to offend Boyle or her supporters.

In reply to sigma421 – thanks for your offer. Feel free (both you and others) to give examples of the introduction you would have written.

Thanks,

Team Observers

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Appearance Obsessed

Submitted by Jasmyne (not verified) on Mon, 20/04/2009 - 20:26.

Susan Boyle may not have the looks of pop idols we're used to, but at the end of the day its about the music. In the car, I don't watch music videos, nor when I jog or clean house. I LISTEN. Her voice is a gift to enjoy and I frankly don't care what she loks like.

-Jasmyne

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You guys are so naïve and

Submitted by kabir, Siberia (not verified) on Tue, 21/04/2009 - 10:46.

You guys are so naïve and slightly hypocritical! The only reason people are talking so much about Susan Boyle is precisely because of her looks.
Like it or not, in today's music industry and world of entertainment: looks and voice are as important, and its sad... Everyone is subjected and affected by marketing. Loads of people have her voice but why do we care about this one: because she sang on a prime time tv show with millions watchingand who expected to see something unusual...and indeed it was! The whole show is about weird performances and common people (like you and me) who the average boring brit (who think they're cool, like those stupid fucking presenters ant and dec)can make fun of! She might win the show, she'll release an album with xmas songs come december, the buzz will last a few months and she'll disappear again...

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