Archive May 4, 2025

Susan Boyle rose to fame following her breathtaking rendition of I Dreamed A Dream on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009. With the show returning for a new season, we’ve looked back at the star’s love life and tough health battles

Susan Boyle has experienced many ups and downs since Britain’s Got Talent catapulted her to fame 16 years ago, when she was 47. Her talent, which left judges and viewers in awe, took her all the way to the final of series three, where she ended up as the runner-up.

Despite just missing out on the top spot in the 2009 talent showdown, the songstress continued to wow the crowds and has since shifted a whopping 25 million albums globally. The birthday girl, who hits 64 today, certainly left her stamp on the music scene with her first album ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ smashing records as one of the century’s top sellers.

The beloved Scottish singer, fondly dubbed SuBo by fans, tends to steer clear of the spotlight, though she occasionally steps out to dazzle at special gigs. In a heart-to-heart with the Mirror back in 2016, she opened up about having to slim down due to health scares, and just last year, she confided in her followers about experiencing a stroke.

Susan may have raked in an eye-watering fortune with her angelic pipes, but she’s stayed true to her roots, shunning the high life for simplicity. Today, as Susan blows out her birthday candles, we delve into what life looks like for her now…

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Health woes

In a bombshell revelation to BGT enthusiasts, Susan disclosed that she’d been hit by a minor stroke, casting doubts over her ability to grace the stage again. Reflecting on her comeback for the Britain’s Got Talent finale, she shared last year: “It’s extra special for me actually, last April there, I suffered a minor stroke and I thought it’d be crazy to be back on stage and I have done it.”

Simon Cowell, the show’s head honcho, lauded the star for her performance, acknowledging that he was aware of her secret health battles. Fans were quick to express their admiration for the singer as she made a triumphant return to the stage, with one fan tweeting: “Huge huge respect for Susan Boyle. Post-stroke and absolutely smashing it on BGT tonight! Incredible!”

This comes after Susan dropped an impressive two stone following her diagnosis with Type 2 diabetes. In a candid chat with The Mirror back in 2016, she opened up about her weight loss journey, saying: “I needed to stop eating sweeties and cakes. It’s the bane of my life. I had to lose the weight for my health.”

Kidnap fear

Susan has previously explained the last time she went out with a man, she didn’t tell anyone and her team thought she had been kidnapped, she told OK!

Asked about her love life by the publication, she replied: “You mean go with fellas? No, youngsters may be able to do it, but I haven’t got the time. It is still nice to be asked though. I had a date in America six years ago, which lasted exactly 45 minutes.

“I went for a massage in the spa of a hotel and met a doctor and then we went out for lunch. I didn’t tell anyone and my team thought I’d been kidnapped.”

Susan added: “They were really panicking because I had a show that night. The guy was nice, but he wasn’t for me. I couldn’t be dealing with keeping up with the correspondence.”

Is Susan married?

When it comes to matters of the heart, Susan’s current relationship status remains a mystery. However, she once confessed to having a romantic connection with an American doctor, though she emphasised that things weren’t “serious at the moment”.

Susan, who prefers to keep her beau out of the spotlight, hinted at enjoying his company. She quipped to The Mirror: “I will send him a picture of my weight loss – if he’s a good boy! I do enjoy male companionship.”

She further commented: “I don’t want to reveal the doctor’s name. It’s nothing serious at the moment… I would love to adopt a child too, but my cat might get jealous. I don’t want to see a cat and a baby fighting. It’s something I might do later.”

Reflecting on a past romance, she shared: “I did have a gentleman friend, a doctor. We went for lunch but I didn’t tell anyone. But if I had a man friend it would be purely platonic – I’ve been on my own too long now to get married.”

Modest home

Susan maintains a down-to-earth lifestyle despite her fame, choosing to remain in her childhood home in West Lothian, Scotland, rather than opting for luxury digs. A few years back, the songstress splurged £111,000 on the semi-detached ex-council house adjacent to her family home, merging them into her ‘dream home’.

Even with the means for lavish living, Susan finds herself unable to leave her treasured upbringing behind, citing its sentimental worth. Speaking to OK! Magazine, she explained, “It’s to do with the memories of your house and your upbringing, you need to take stock of things and maybe see where you come from and where your roots lie.”

She added, “It’s best to be grounded and with your roots. It keeps you grounded and prevents you from saying things maybe you shouldn’t say.”

How much is she worth?

Since catapulting to stardom, Susan has amassed a fortune estimated at £22 million, largely thanks to her smash hit debut album ‘I Dreamed A Dream’, which sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Despite her financial success, Susan remains unpretentious and is not the kind to indulge in extravagant spending.

The songstress once confided to Piers Morgan how she manages to live on a modest £300-500 a week, which serves her needs just fine. During the 2010 interview with the TalkTV presenter, she revealed: “I’ve only just learnt how to go in a taxi. I don’t flash the cash.”

Curious about her spending habits, Piers quizzed her on whether she’d splash out on a Lamborghini, to which she naively replied, “Is that a drink? No fancy cars, no.”

Susan then added: “I’m always careful with money. I’m not saying I’m mean, but I’m always careful. I have an allowance, it’s about £300-500 a week because that’s plenty for me. It’s pocket money.”

Opting for budget-friendly breaks

While other celebrities jet off to exotic locations like the Maldives to splurge their wealth, Susan enjoys her downtime much closer to home. The cherished singer was spotted last summer relishing a tranquil break in Ireland, with the BGT star’s admirers overjoyed to witness her soaking in the charm of the Emerald Isle.

The vocalist, who also wowed audiences on America’s Got Talent in 2019, took some time out at the Knock House Hotel in Mayo, nestled in the west of Ireland. Delighted by her presence, the hotel’s official Facebook page posted photos of a beaming Susan cosying up with the locals.

Their message proudly announced: “It was our pleasure to welcome Susan Boyle back to Knock House again recently. Susan is a fabulous Lady and we always love to see her return time and time again to Knock House Hotel. Pictured here with the lovely Des Dugan from the team at Senior Times LIVE.”

In response, one upset fan wrote: “OMG, this is literally down the road from me. RAGING that I missed getting a picture with Subo!”

What’s Susan up to now?

According to her official website, Susan continues to be active in music, both recording and performing live. However, the site was last refreshed in 2021.

She graced the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2021 with her presence following her UK Tour in 2020. More recently, she has dazzled audiences at the National Prayer Breakfast for Scotland in Edinburgh.

Reflecting on her Edinburgh performance, she shared: “I am thrilled to be performing at the Scottish Prayer Breakfast. My faith has always been my strength and backbone throughout my career.”

Susan serenaded the audience with ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ and performed a rendition of ‘The Prayer’ in a duet with Jai McDowall, a fellow Britain’s Got Talent star who accompanied her on her tour across the UK.

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This solar-powered water fountain that has just begun to sell is the perfect statement piece to elevate your garden, patio, or decking.

A water-based foundation that will illuminate any outdoor space will brighten your garden. This Amazon water fountain is solar-powered, lowering the price from its original £40 to its even more affordable price tag of £28.04.

This Asitin LED Solar Water Fountain has a remote control that quickly switches between the solar fountain’s LED lighting effect and the pond pump’s spray height. It is ideal for brightening a garden space and adding color. To ensure that this gem automatically turns on to your desired setting without you having to lift a finger, it comes with three preset automatic modes and a timer.

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With a maximum spray height of up to 60 centimeters, this water fountain is available in seven different colors and three different spray heights. Whether you’re impressing your boss or just want to hear the sound of running water while you’re relaxing in the sun, it lets you choose your preferred color and spray design.

A 3000mAh rechargeable battery and a 5-watt high-performance solar panel are included with the solar fountain. If you want to use the pump as a bird bath, the pump automatically turns on after a brief period of direct sunlight.

This solar water fountain is ideal for bird ponds, fish tanks, small ponds, swimming pools, and gardens because it has eight different nozzle types that can change the height of the water in various spray modes.

This solar-powered water fountain currently has an impressive 4 out of 5 star rating from Amazon customers, making it perfect for adding decorative flair to any outdoor space.

A delighted customer declares, “I bought this fountain to brighten up a corner on a small patio. Given that the area where the fountain is located doesn’t receive a lot of sunlight, it performs exceptionally well. The auto setting, which allows for sufficient battery backup during the daytime use, has been my experience. Absolutely amazing! You can adjust the power level of each pot or pond size to suit different pot sizes and lighting conditions in the evening. I would highly suggest purchasing this.”

Another customer exclaims, “Had a few solar-powered fountains before, and they were okay. But this is the best I’ve ever had, especially considering the price! Powerful motor with a 6 / 5 W motor and numerous switchable tops for various water flow. also looks excellently made. I can now enjoy the summertime afternoons that have already left. Additionally, my cat drinks it as water! It also comes with a functional remote. I’ve yet to try the colors, but will try in the evening. would suggest to a friend.

And finally, the third chimes in, “I love this fountain. The LEDS have vibrant colors. The battery lasts 5 to 6 hours while the fountain has good power and amp. It’s only used during the night. The ATM remote control is difficult for me to understand. I purchased it because my house and apartment are on a building plot and there is still no garden. It’s so beautiful to watch when it gets dark. It will stand out when we do have a garden.

Ex Hollyoaks star Sarah Jayne Dunn says it was “never her intention” to leave the soap and details how the decision “was taken out of her hands” after she joined OnlyFans

Former Hollyoaks actress Sarah Jayne Dunn has opened up about how the decision to leave the Cheshire-based soap was made for her, after she joined risqué subscription website OnlyFans. The Manchester-born star, currently flying the flag for lingerie brand Raine & Bea’s ‘Theatrical flair for everyday wear’ campaign, reveals the decision “was taken out of her hands” following her OnlyFans move.

But Sarah, who now admits she feels sexier than ever, has decided to speak out to change the narrative surrounding OnlyFans. During an exclusive interview with New, Sarah openly addresses her early fame, her OnlyFans success, her body confidence and how her shock exit from the Channel 4 soap was misconstrued.

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Sarah says she’s determined not to let age or what she calls “social conditioning” stand in the way of her stripping off. She told the publication: “I feel so much more comfortable and confident in my body today.

“I don’t feel like I’m trying to tick any box of what I want my body to be, I just want to be strong and healthy and have longevity. I want to get older to still be fit and strong. I want to be able to play with my son, to continue to go to the gym, that’s what’s important.”

But Sarah says she’s only become more confident in her own skin as she’s gotten older and when she first started on screen when she was 14, she was still finding herself and her body was changing. She said of some roles she had when she was younger: “My body was being scrutinised and it was being edited without my permission.

She continued: “You know, my boobs were being made bigger and my tummy was being made flawless. And all the natural things – and imperfections is the wrong word, because they’re not imperfections – were removed. So I grew up not knowing what my body should or did look like. I’d see a picture of it in a lads’ mag, then look at it in the mirror, and it was different.”

It’s why Sarah wants to change the narrative surrounding OnlyFans. Speaking of her content on the website, she said: “I’ve got a lovely following and I create content that I was creating anyway but I do it now on my terms and it really works for me. I won’t do it forever, but it’s given me a really comfortable life and I enjoy it, so I don’t see myself stopping it any time soon.

“One of the reasons I’ve become a “voice”, is because I put my foot down against being sexualised and monetised by others and not benefiting at all, saying “this isn’t okay any more”. I think that resonated with a lot of people. I used to be a bit of a people pleaser, and I think a lot of us feel like that, so it’s nice to see somebody set boundaries, take control and succeed. I’ve had lots of support, particularly from women.”

The actress is best known for having played Mandy Richardson on the long-running soap for more than two decades before her departure in 2021. She was given an ultimatum by Hollyoaks bosses when they insisted that she shut down her profile on OnlyFans, saying that her racy shots were not good for publicity.

‌She refused to shut down her page, with the star then revealing she thinks she knows which of her Hollyoaks co-stars made an official complaint about her account on the adult subscription-based website. Sarah’s character first appeared on Hollyoaks in 1996 and left the show when Mandy suddenly jetted off to LA.

Sarah has been open about her OnlyFans career and what led to her departure from the soap. And now, she opened up about being ‘sexualised’ while working as an actress but ‘not being allowed to do it on her own terms’.

She added: “I never really left, it was sort of misconstrued. When I joined OnlyFans, it was never my intention to leave the show [ Hollyoaks ]. That decision was taken out of my hands, and widely publicised. When you’re an actor, you don’t ever “leave”, you’re in-between jobs. I’ve auditioned for other stuff, and if the right job came along and it fitted into my life and schedule, then I’d do it.

“I’ve been acting since I was a teen, so there’s always going to be part of me that misses it. But I’ve got a lovely life now, loads of free time and I love being my own boss. One thing I do miss is the banter and the camaraderie of being with people and creating something together. But a lot of jobs involve working away from home, and I don’t want to do that for long periods because of my son.”

Speaking about lingerie brand Raine & Bea’s new campaign, Sarah said: “It’s such an honour to be ambassador for the new Raine and Bea collection. I’ve been a fan of Jenna’s work for years now and always love wearing her pieces, I’m so excited that she’s bringing her work to the masses with her diffusion line and the collection is stunning. I felt a million dollars wearing one of her new designs on launch night. I can’t wait to wear more of the collection soon!”

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