The untold truth of Susan Boyle

The world was introduced to Susan Boyle in 2009 on Britain’s Got Talent. Her voice caught the attention of the world, and she has been in the spotlight ever since. From her amazing sound to her well-known love for Donny Osmond, Boyle is a celebrity with a quirky side. She has been open in the past about her health struggles and her family drama, but what is there that fans don’t know about the famous singer? Let’s take a look at some untold truths about the one-of-a-kind Susan Boyle.

She forgives those who used to bully her

It would be easy for this famous singer to see her success as pay-back to all of those kids who used to bully her in school. In fact, one of Boyle’s songs is called “You’ll See.” But interestingly enough, Boyle is not holding on to those bad feelings. In fact, she has been in contact with some of those past school bullies.

She spoke to this point during an interview on Piers Morgan Tonight and said, “I’ve since had very nice relationships with some of those bullies who’ve grown up…. That is a happy ending.” What was her thought when these past classmates first contacted her? “Okay, you’ve grown up.”

She’s a big Madonna fan for an unexpected reason

Boyle is a major Madonna fan. Sure, she loves the music, but her reason for being such a big fan goes deeper. Boyle reflected on this fact with The Huffington Post UK, sharing, “When I was ill, at the very beginning, they gave me some albums to listen to. They were all Madonna, and she actually helped me. She helped me get through that.”

And now, Boyle has reached a level of fame that it seems Madonna could even appreciate. Though admittedly, Boyle is doubtful about any key similarities between the two singers. She continued, “Madonna is a legend, and I have L-plates on my back. So, to compare me with Madonna is a bit unfair, but I’m a great admirer of hers.”

She considers “negative” to be a swear word

This singer has been through a lot and doesn’t let rude and negative comments get the best of her. In fact, she doesn’t like the word “negative” one bit.

“Negativity, that’s a bit of a swear word,” she told The Huffington Post UK. “Negativity can always be turned on its head, and made into a positive. There is always a silver lining, and there’s a lot of good that counteracts the bad.”

To avoid focusing on the dreaded negative, Boyle works hard to be good at what she does. She shared, “People write things about you, people may say things about you but they can’t hurt you. Because if you do your job well, and people like what you do, that counteracts the bad. And turns it around, into a good thing. Into a positive thing.”

Musicals are her jam

Fun fact: Boyle is a big fan of musicals. She discussed this love during an interview with Female First, describing what this form of art brings to her life. She said, “The theatre is a sanctuary for me and I especially love the way stories are communicated through the lyrics and the music, it taps all emotions and senses.”

So the ultimate moment for someone like Boyle might even perhaps be a musical of her own and that is just what happened. I Dreamed a Dream, the musical that tells the story of Boyle’s life, began previews in 2012

The singer spoke with Female First about her first thoughts on the musical, saying, “It really blew me away. I never thought for a second people would want to come and watch that. It was a great honour. I will also admit it was hard to watch, I found it very emotional to see my parents especially portrayed on stage but after a couple of shows I learned to love that part as it was done so sensitively.”

She said her Asperger’s diagnosis was a relief

One fact that has been featured in the news about Boyle is her health and her diagnosis of Asperger’s, yet fans may not know or have expected her reaction to this diagnosis. Boyle spoke with the Observer (via The Hollywood Reporter) about her sense of relief when she received the news. “I have always known that I have had an unfair label put upon me,” she said. “Now I have a clearer understanding of what’s wrong and I feel relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself.”

And with that sense of peace, Boyle has been able to move forward and better understand who she is. “Asperger’s doesn’t define me. It’s a condition that I have to live with and work through, but I feel more relaxed about myself. People will have a much greater understanding of who I am and why I do the things I do.”

She questions her own past fashion decisions

When Boyle looks back on her first audition for Britain’s Got Talent, she doesn’t always think about the success that was about to begin. As she shared on Today, her first thoughts actually were, “What the heck are you wearing?” She then went even further, saying, “I mean, I walked on dressed like a cake…. I thought, what the heck were you thinking about? I mean, it was like a doily in legs.”

The singer though realized she was different inside as well. She said watching the audition back, she could see that she “lacked confidence.” She sees her own evolution and is happy with it. She continued, “Look at me. There’s a complete contrast, and that’s good.”

She owns two homes just minutes from each other

A person has to have a certain level of wealth to own two houses — and imagine if those houses were just minutes from each other. This may be the case for Boyle, but the wealth has never gone to her head.

While one of her homes is a bit bigger, she actually spends more time in the other, her childhood home. She described her reasoning with Today, saying, “The big house down the street isn’t really me, ’cause I’m not the type of person to live in a big mansion. When I’m back in this space, well, my mom and dad, I still feel close to them. I still have a lot of nice memories in this house. I feel, this is my comfort zone.”

Faith has helped her reach success

Through the amazing and difficult times, Boyle has always had her faith. She credits that faith for the success she has reached in her career, sharing with with The Christian Post, “My faith is incredibly important to me on every level. It gets me through those moments of self-doubt and also allows me to understand that this gift of my career, later in life, is from a higher power.”

She continued on to say that she still regularly goes to church. “I find that my religion gives me a direction in life and brings great happiness.”

She has kept her mother’s values

As fame has continued to grow for Boyle, she has stayed consistent. Throughout interviews and each big moment, she continues to be humble about her success. As Boyle shared on Piers Morgan Tonight, her mother taught her “Christian values” that help keep her humble. Though her mother passed away before seeing Boyle achieve real success, her values live on. In part, her mother taught her, “how to put yourself in other people’s shoes, how to give it your best even when things are really tough.”