Susan Boyle Reveals She Had a Stroke During Return to ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Stage

More than 14 years after her legendary crowning on Britain’s Got Talent, Susan Boyle was back on the stage for Sunday night’s season 16 finale to sing the song that helped launch her into improbable global stardom. But this time she was joined by the West End cast of Les Misérables for a performance of the song that helped her become a superstar, “I Dreamed a Dream,” and at the end she made a startling revelation about overcoming a serious health issue.

“It feels great,” Boyle said after the rousing song when asked what it felt like to be back on the BGT stage for a reprise of her 2009 crowning achievement during the show’s third season. “It’s extra special for me actually because last April there, I suffered a minor stroke. And I fought like crazy to be back on stage and I have done it.”

BGT creator and judge Simon Cowell loved seeing Boyle back in the mix, saying it was “unbelievable” that she’s been able to return to her signature vocal strength. “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 because we wouldn’t be the same without you. You are amazing.”

The shy Scottish singer who blew minds during her initial BGT run expounded on her recovery in an Instagram post celebrating Sunday’s performance, writing, “Tonight I had the privilege of returning to @bgt and performing with the wonderful cast of @lesmizofficial,” 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 & tonight my hard work & perseverance paid off, singing the song that started it all, ‘I Dreamed A Dream’.”

After her BGT triumph back in the day, Boyle released her smash debut album, I Dreamed a Dream — which at the time became the best-selling debut album in U.K. chart history — spawning the title track hit as well as a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses.” She followed up with 2010’s The Gift album, which topped both U.S. and U.K. charts, then 2011’s Someone to Watch Over me, Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs From the Stage (2012), Home For Christmas (2013), Hope (2014), A Wonderful World (2016) and Ten (2019).

Watch Boyle’s performance and the discussion of her stroke and see her post below.

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