Susan Boyle returned to Britain’s Got Talent on Sunday (June 4), joining the Les Misérables West End cast to perform “I Dreamed a Dream.” Not only was this the song that catapulted Susan, 62, to fame in 2009, but it marked her first live performance since she suffered a minor stroke in 2022. The performance left the BGT judges – including Simon Cowell, who witnessed Susan’s first audition fourteen years ago – with bright smiles as they joined the audience in giving Boyle a standing ovation.
The performance was “special for me,” said Susan, per Entertainment Weekly, “because last April, I suffered a minor stroke. I fought like crazy to get back on stage, and I have done it.” Simon, 63, spoke about Susan’s return, praising the woman for her indomitable spirit. “Susan, we owe you so much, and I knew you weren’t well, but if anyone was going to come back, you were going to come back,” he told her. “We wouldn’t be the same without you. You are amazing.”
She later expanded on the event in an Instagram post. “Tonight I had the privilege of returning to [Britain’s Got Talen] and performing with the wonderful cast of [Le Mis],” she wrote. “This evening was even more special for me as in April of 2022, I had a stroke. For the past year, I have worked so hard to get my speech and singing back, with the sole aim of being able to sing on stage again, and tonight, my hard work and perseverance paid off, singing the song that started it all, ‘I Dreamed A Dream.'”
In 2019, Susan reflected on the decade after her star-making turn on the show. She signed a multi-album deal with Simon Cowell’s Syco Music and has sold over 25 million records. “Simon is the biggest inspiration in my career,” she told People. “He’s been my boss for almost ten years, and I strive to make him proud. He inspires me to continue and strive for perfection.” She also added that he’s the “best boss in the world.”
“I’m in my own little bubble on the stage, conveying a story, and it really is my happy place,” she explained. “I get great enjoyment making the audience happy. My career has never been about earning money or really even chart positions, I just love to be on stage and singing.”
“I don’t ever want to become a diva, and I think having a good group of people around you ensures you don’t,” she said. “I think it’s all about not believing the hype. I’m still me, the wee woman who stepped on the BGT audition stage almost ten years ago, and I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world and perform in wonderful places, but then I get to go home and just be me again, I get the best of both worlds!”