It’s been quite a weekend for BGT sensation Susan Boyle.
The 47 year-old singer, who delighted everyone with her powerful performance of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Mis on Saturday’s show, hasn’t let stardom go to her head.
Instead she turned up for church as usual on Easter Sunday morning, reportedly receiving rapturous applause from her friends in the congregation.
She said, “It was incredible. Although we sing in church not a lot of them know how good I was, so it was a bit of a shock for them”.
“Everyone is very nice and it’s lovely when all the kids stop me in the street to congratulate me.”
Many of the churchgoers know Susan well – but for different reasons. Currently unemployed, the singer devotes a lot of time doing community work on the church’s behalf.
She told us, “I like to help out where I can and I mostly do voluntary work. I help out the elderly, stuff like that. And I visit people in hospital. I’ve been doing that for a year and a half now”.
It’s been a tough time for Susan, who now lives alone in her childhood home following the death of her 91 year-old mother, Bridget, in 2007.
But Susan’s positive attitude - as well as her desire to keep busy - has kept her spirits up.
She told us, “A lot of things can happen that have been really sad and you’ve got to cover it up. You either laugh or you’d greet (cry). And we’d all be greeting, that would be a terrible mess”.
“Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone. I don’t intend to be alone for long”.
Judging by the many messages of support on this website, Susan has millions of new friends and fans out there, for starters. And the people of West Lothian are certainly behind her all the way!
She smiled, “The whole village is cheering me on. West Lothian would wish me well, I hope, that is the kind of community it is”.
“And I will be doing my best. Before I left, they told me, 'If you can behave yourself and stop your carry on, you will do well. You can sing okay'”.
“Who am I to let them down?”
Can Susan inspire others to show off their talents? Let us know below!