Susan Boyle

[Rasputin]

Having worn what looked like a large beige doily for her TV debut on Britain's Got Talent, golden-voiced Susan Boyle has emerged anew – in a loud print dress covered by a leather-look jacket and, points out an amazed British Daily Mail, high heels.

And while Boyle, 48, has said that changing her look is out of the question, the Daily Mirror quotes her as saying, "I need to sort out my dress sense."

PEOPLE.com readers agree, to some extent. In a poll of whether or not Boyle needs to change her look, 52 percent said yes as of Wednesday morning, while 48 percent apparently like Susan the way she is – as does Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, the actress tells PEOPLE.

"People want the average woman who shows you dreams are still possible and that hopes will still happen for you," says Holden.

Adds Holden: "If we made her with big toothy grin or bouffant-y hair, it would kill who she is standing for. Whether she knows it or not, she is standing for the average person in the street. I am sure she will comb her hair and have a bit of [lipstick] on. But she won't be going under the knife or anything like that!"

[Rasputin]

Not content with tweaking her frumpy wardrobe, overnight success Susan Boyle took her style evolution a step further Thursday.

A few days after she was pictured in a brightly-colored print dress and black, looks-like-leather jacket, Boyle, 48, made a trip to the beauty parlor, spending a reported $50 to color her mop of graying hair a chestnut brown.

British newspapers reveled in her visit to the Miss Toner salon in Whitburn, near her home in Blackburn, Scotland. The Daily Mirror reports she has "tamed her wild woolly gray hair," plucked her eyebrows and gone from "frumpy to funky."

Meanwhile, new video has emerged of Boyle performing a song from Jesus Christ Superstar at a family party more than 20 years ago.

Boyle's new look – she also reportedly had a facial – may raise eyebrows among the Britain's Got Talent judges, including actress Amanda Holden who said she hopes Boyle would remain as she is.

Holden told PEOPLE, "Whether she knows it or not, she is standing for the average person in the street. I am sure she will comb her hair and have a bit of [lipstick] on. But she won't be going under the knife or anything like that!"

Like Boyle, Holden has gotten a stateside boost from the excitement surrounding Boyle's original appearance on Britain's Got Talent, which has been viewed by millions via YouTube. Holden she is scheduled to co-host CBS's The Early Show on June 1.

Despite British press reports that producers of Britain's Got Talent have been annoyed by Boyle's attempts to update her look, a spokeswoman for the show tells PEOPLE, "Susan's a grown woman and can do what she likes with her hair."

And the response from Miss Toner, the salon that received the distinguished visitor? A very showbiz "no comment."

[Rasputin]

If there was ever any question, she's always had talent. In a 25-year-old video that recently surfaced, a fresh-faced Susan Boyle – just 22 at the time – takes the stage at a local Scottish club looking trim and youthful.

In the clip from Scotland's Daily Record, the Britain's Got Talent star sings "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar and Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were" in the Motherwell FC's Fir Park Social Club singing contest. Boyle, now 47, had been a late addition to the local singing team, Coventry Tam O'Shanter, after someone had dropped out.

"I can remember that she was a shy young girl, but also very attractive back then – she turned a few heads when she came into the club," school caretaker Gerry McGuinness, 61, told the Daily Record of her appearance, 10 years before she would take singing lessons. He was there for the performance and dug up an old tape after seeing Boyle on TV more recently.

"Even back then, I don't think anyone expected too much from her because she was so shy, but when she began singing people took notice," he said. “It's great Susan is finally getting some recognition. She is a great singer and it seems right that at some point she would get the credit she deserved."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIYzQYnm9s8

[Rasputin]

Susan Boyle dazzled Britain’s Got Talent yet again Sunday night with That Voice, winning her place in the show’s finale competition next Saturday.

The 48-year-old Scottish singer defeated seven other performers by belting out "Memory" from the musical Cats, and drew a standing ovation from the live audience.

"You are one special lady, I have to say, you really are," panel judge Simon Cowell told her after her performance.

Cowell then apologized to the now-famously never-been-kissed church volunteer for underestimating her when she first auditioned in April.

"You know what, I just want to apologize because of the way we treated you before you sang the first time," he said. "You made me and everyone else look very stupid and I'm very happy for you, very proud for you."

Back then, she knocked the judges socks off when she crooned "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables.

This time, the songstress' new makeover was also a knockout. Though she promised she'd never change too much, on Sunday Boyle wore a sparkly purple dress, professional-looking makeup and showed off well-groomed eyebrows – yes, the once-frumpy Boyle looked downright glamorous as all eyes were upon her.

"What pressure?" she said, when asked after her performance if she had been nervous. "It was really good tonight, I really enjoyed it ... I'm very happy to be here and thank you all for your support."

Watch Boyle's semi-finals performance here.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7Ayk9G7-sc[/ame]

[Rasputin]

Britain's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan wants people to lay off Susan Boyle.

According to British reports, the 48-year-old Scottish singing sensation -- who won over millions with a YouTube performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables and advanced to the finals last weekend with her rendition of "Memory" from Cats -- cussed out two strangers in the lobby of the Wembley Plaza Hotel in North London on Wednesday.

When police intervened, she broke down in tears and stormed off. (A rep for Boyle tells London's The Times that the incident was caused by a pesky reporter. "A journalist from a tabloid paper provoked her, the police just happened to be at the hotel and escorted said journalist out after making sure Susan was OK," the spokesperson told the paper.)

Check out these unforgettable celeb meltdowns

It wasn't her only outburst this week: Boyle also reportedly cussed at a television set in the hotel bar Tuesday after she heard judge Morgan praise rival singer Shaheen Jafargholi, 12, on Britain's Got Talent. (Her rep denies the incident.)

Think Susan Boyle's makeover is impressive? Check out these stunning celeb transformations!

On CBS' The Early Show Thursday, Morgan said he's "feeling more supportive" of Boyle "today than I was before, because I feel really sorry for Susan.

"From what I hear," he told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez, "she's been in tears the last two days. She even threatened to leave the show yesterday at one stage, because of the sheer amount of pressure on her.

See the most talked-about reality stars of all time

"And you have to remember with Susan, she's a 48-year-old lady from a tiny village in Scotland who has never been exposed to anything like this kind of attention. And I think she's really feeling the heat.

"The hotel she's in is crawling in tourists, crawling in the media. I think maybe she overreacted. I don't know what happened. She denies, apparently, some of the things that have been reported.

See more scandalous moments on reality TV

"But either way, I know she's feeling a lot of pressure, and I think that most people watching this show and hearing about this will feel natural sympathy toward her. And I just hope it all calms down for the final. Because, on Saturday, she sings for the competition."

[Rasputin]

Susan Boyle considered leaving 'Britain's Got Talent' finale

Singing sensation Susan Boyle had vowed to leave the television show, "Britain's Got Talent," after a hectic week, but has since recanted and will perform at the finale Saturday, a judge for the show said.

The 48-year-old Scottish singer wowed audiences and judges during her audition in May when she belted out the classic, "I Dreamed a Dream," from the musical "Les Miserables." Her performance earned her a string of global television appearances.

Her fame catapulted during the semifinals Sunday, which she started off by missing the first note of her performance of "Memory" from the musical, "Cats."

She redeemed herself to earn a standing ovation and a spot in Saturday's finale.

The global fame and the "odd bit of negative press" in the past week have been too overwhelming for her, judge Piers Morgan told CNN's "Larry King Live" on Friday.

"She's just had a pretty rough week because I think the full enormity of what has happened to her is beginning to hit home," Morgan said.

"Earlier this week, she had a lot of tears. ... At one stage, she was going to leave the show. So, fortunately, we've calmed everything down."

Boyle said that that she has put the tumultuous week behind her and is getting ready for the finale.

"It's all I've been thinking about," she said on the show's Web site. "I'm not going to throw away my big chance now."

"Britain's Got Talent" defended Boyle on its Web site, saying that media reports of an emotional outburst "have been taken out of context."

The unemployed charity worker has inspired millions in the face of pop music's penchant for pre-processed princesses.

Before she sang during her audition, the unassuming single woman with a loose mop of curly hair drew snickers from the audience, including notoriously hard-to-please judge Simon Cowell.

The scowls and eye-rolling were replaced by wild cheers as soon as she sang the first line.

Cowell later apologized for poking fun at her during the auditions stage.

"You are one special lady," he said last week. "You really are."

[Rasputin]

Despite being the runaway favorite, Susan Boyle failed in her bid to net the big prize on Britain's Got Talent.

She was beat in Saturday's finale by dance troupe Diversity and finished in second place.

"The best people won," Boyle said. "They are very entertaining lads. I wish you all the best."

Asked what the future holds by the show's hosts, Boyle added, "I hope to get an album out. Who knows? I will just play it by ear."

As for street dancers Diversity, judge Simon Cowell said, "You can see them open the Olympics. What you saw tonight was absolutely immaculate."

Cowell added of Boyle, "I am gutted for Susan but she was incredibly gracious. Susan's come out of this very well. We've never had a runner-up like Susan Boyle before. She's won over a lot of fans tonight through her graciousness. She's a really sweet person. She has a massive future ahead of her."

In the show's finale, the Scottish singer, who has captivated the world in the last seven weeks, reprised her performance of "I Dreamed A Dream" from the musical Les Miserables, the same song from her audition, which went on to be viewed 100 million times online.

Her prize would have been $150,000 and the chance to perform in front of Queen Elizabeth in the annual Royal Variety Performance.

After her barnstorming performance at the finale in London, Boyle demurely said a simple "thank you" to the people at home, the audience and the producers of the show. It had been a pressure-filled week for the 48-year-old, who had to be moved to a secret location after hounding by the media peaked as accusations flew of her swearing at her hotel.

Asked if it was worth it, she said, "Well worth it. I really feel at home on stage. Of course I do, I'm among friends."


The Judges' Take
The judges were more effusive. In the words of Piers Morgan, she sang the song "better than you did last time" and "that, to me, was the greatest performance in Britain's Got Talent history. I loved it." He, like fellow judges Cowell – who was famously stunned when he first saw her – and actress Amanda Holden were on their feet at the end of her performance.

With applause dying down, Holden told her, "Susan, I have never heard such powerful, confident vocals. You sang it so well this evening. You have been under an enormous amount of pressure but you did it, girl. Simon had a tear in his eye and I have never seen that before."

And Cowell said, "You had the guts to come back here tonight, face your critics and you beat them, and that's the most important thing. I've got to know the real Susan Boyle – which is not the person I've seen portrayed in the media – who is still a very nice shy person who just wants a break. I absolutely adore you."

The favorite from the beginning, Boyle became a household name after surprising the judges and the audience in the show that aired in April. And then, on May 24, she made it into the finale after performing "Memory" from the musical Cats in the semi-finals.

Since her first appearance caught the imagination of the world, Boyle, 48, has been analyzed at almost every step of the – even a $50 hairstyle was dubbed a makeover.


Britain Is Watching
On Saturday, more than 15 million viewers were expected to tune in and three of Boyle's nieces – including ***sty Foy, who told PEOPLE, "We're all disappointed but very proud of Susan. She was fantastic tonight." – were in the audience. Back home in Blackburn, Scotland, families, including babies in strollers and infant carriers, gathered in the town's Community Education Centre. Handmade banners that read, "Good luck Susan," "Vote 4 Susan" and "Hands Up 4 Susan," were hung on brick walls. Fans watched on a giant screen with the show being projected and audio echoing throughout the hall.

When her image appeared, the crowd stood up and applauded so loudly Boyle's performance could hardly be heard. Some waved their hands in the air; some audience members stomped their feet, and others chanted "Susan, Susan, Susan." At the end, young boys left the hall chanting, "We love Susan Boyle!"

Before the results, Boyle told the TV cameras that people will see a "new Susan Boyle, Susan Boyle the singer. The pressure put on me this week has been overwhelming. It's the most important night of my life tonight. When I step on the stage it's the accumulation of 40 years of dreaming. A lifelong ambition."

[Rasputin]

Being worn out from the pressure of months' worth of receiving the world's attention is what led Susan Boyle to being hospitalized, says a Britain's Got Talent judge.

Speaking about Boyle on Monday's GMTV morning program in the U.K., Piers Morgan told the show's Kate Garraway: "I spoke to her yesterday for about half an hour and she's fine. She's gone in for some rest. She needs to get away from everyone – get away from the show, from the media, the public, and just have a bit of down time to herself."

Following her surprise defeat on Britain's Got Talent Saturday after her smashing singing debut in April, Boyle, 48, reportedly was taken by ambulance and admitted to a private clinic in London Sunday for what was described as treatment of exhaustion.

"She had too long to wait between the audition show and the final, and the pressure just builds and builds and builds," said Morgan. "It's been crazy, she has gone from anonymity to being the most-downloaded woman in history."

He called her hospitalization "entirely voluntary … she wanted to do this. She talked to doctors – she's been seeing doctors through the week whenever she's wanting to because they've all been under huge pressure, these contestants. But nobody, and I stress this, has had to put up with the kind of attention that Susan has. And no one could have predicted it – so we entered uncharted territory."

He added, "I was happy when I spoke to her yesterday that she's basically fine. She loved being on the show – this idea that she hated the show – she loved it. It's been the dream for her to try and pursue her singing career."

Meanwhile, also on GMTV, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised Saturday night's Talent winner (over Boyle), the dance troup Diversity as "a great example of diversity in our country." He also wished the runner-up well, saying, "I hope Susan Boyle is okay, because she is a really, really nice person, and I think she will do well."

Diversity leader Ashley Banjo concurred, calling Boyle "such a nice lady … The woman you see on stage – she's probably even more gracious off stage. And I just wish her all the best."

[Rasputin]

Four days after checking herself into a London mental health center, Susan Boyle was well enough to leave, PEOPLE has confirmed.

The Scottish singing sensation, who went into the Priory Hospital Sunday evening after suffering from exhaustion, left the facility Thursday night. Insiders say she is being looked after by family and friends – and her brother confirmed the news telling PEOPLE that he hopes to speak to her late Friday.

"As far as I can tell she is absolutely fine," Gerry Boyle says. "I believe she is with the musical people at a flat in central London. The conversation has now moved on from the Priory to talk about her musical career. She is feeling much better."

Max Clifford, a rep for Britain's Got Talent figurehead Simon Cowell, also discussed her release. "She came out yesterday evening. She is going to be having discussions about her career. But they are going to see how she is and get her feeling for the way forward," he said, adding, "But it is all very gently, gently."

Clifford could not confirm reports that Cowell, whose record label Syco will likely sign Boyle if she wants to record an album, had offered her a chance to stay at his home in Barbados. But Cowell has been in contact with Boyle, 48, since she entered the Priory's north London hospital.

Meanwhile, Paula Abdul is adamant that Cowell keep his word and get Boyle a record deal. "If he doesn't live up to his promise and make sure she gets a record deal and has a great chance ... I'll kill him!" she told PEOPLE after the Cinema Society New York Screening of Hangover Thursday. "He's got a girl sitting next to him that will nail him."

And, when not threatening Cowell, Abdul remarked that Boyle's first performance brought her to tears, saying, "She's astonishing in her own way."

But why does she think Boyle cracked? "If you could only imagine to have someone plucked out of the blue, who has a magnificent talent, the whole world gets to know her through YouTube," said Abdul. "The pressure becomes overwhelming. When everyone touts you to win, and you've never experienced that before, it's overwhelming."

But, "She's fabulous, and she's going to be fine," concluded Abdul.

[Rasputin]

After resting for five days in a London mental health center for exhaustion since losing last week's final of Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle indulged in some retail therapy on Friday.

Looking relaxed and happy, the Scottish singing sensation, 48, made her first public appearance since checking out of the hospital by enjoying a mini-shopping spree at the Lulu & Fred clothing store in North London.

"She was absolutely thrilled and happy," Frederic Benisty, co-owner of the clothing shop, told London's Daily Mail. "She was joking around and having a laugh."

Accompanied by doctor Sarah Lotzof, Boyle was upbeat as she left the store with stylish cardigans, shoes and dresses from designers such as Elie Tahari, Twin Set and Majestic.

Boyle can show off her new wardrobe on Britain's Got Talent tour, which she is expected to join on June 12, but may miss a few legs of the tour to continue her recovery from exhaustion.

[Rasputin]

Susan Boyle is back in Scotland, reunited with her cat Pebbles and prepping for her first performances since she placed second in the finale of Britain's Got Talent.

The singer is well, according to friends and family, who say she's rarin' to go with rehearsals for the upcoming Britain's Got Talent tour, just days after she left London's Priory Hospital, where she was treated for exhaustion.

"She's really happy and on good form," a source close to Boyle tells PEOPLE. She has a new manager – Ossie Kilkenny, who worked with U2 on their multi-million dollar deals – while hit-maker Simon Cowell will help with her music.

"This is all been done in agreement with Simon," the source says. "Ossie has been brought in and welcomed by all concerned."

Cowell and his team are moving softly with the singer, 48, after her much-publicized breakdown. She will only perform at stops on the tour, which begins June 12 in Birmingham, England, if she is ready and happy to participate.

"She really wants to do it and is very keen to do it. Everyone wants her to be a part of it but there is no pressure on her to do it," the source says. "It's her decision."

The same goes for her album. The source says, "It will happen at some point without putting any undue pressure on her."

But things are clearly looking up. Family members believe that she is doing fine and that "her career takes off from now," one relative tells PEOPLE.

"She is very excited and positive about the future," Boyle's brother John told the U.K.'s News of the World Sunday about his chats with his sister this weekend. "She was giggling away and sounded more relaxed than she has in ages," he said.


Retail Therapy
On her first day since leaving hospital, Boyle enjoyed a little shopping at a store just north of London. Frederic Benisty, co-manager of Lulu and Fred, tells PEOPLE, "She was really good, having a really good day. It was a great ladies day out for her. She was anxious at first but then got into the swing of things and was really joking around."

He said she bought a variety of items of "elegant wear." He described her look as "Smart, casual, elegant, sophisticated."

And Boyle is starting to get the trappings of celebrity. Shop workers closed the store for her as they were inundated with paparazzi. "We wanted her to feel comfortable in her surroundings and enjoy the shopping in privacy," Bensity said.


Idol Support
American Idol's original champ, Kelly Clarkson, has taken to the British airwaves to defend Boyle and offer her advice.

Speaking on the morning show GMTV, the young singer agreed that the pressures that come with exposure in a talent competition are immense. She said: "Every person who goes through this – right at the beginning it's very hard, it's hard on you. Because people can be vicious."

Clarkson, who won American Idol in 2002, says it takes time to come to terms with catty comments echoing in the media. "It's like seven years later," she said, "It's been going alright for seven years, so I'm good."

Clarkson's advice for her fellow singer: "Focus on the people that are really positive around you."