The life of Paul Potts and Susan Boyle are real “rags to riches stories”. Previous to appearing on "Britain's Got Talent" Paul was dogged by illness and misfortune. Both Paul Potts and Susan Boyle have risen to stardom from complete obscurity. Both have come from ordinary families of no particular achievement, both were tormented and bullied as children – throughout their school years. The most singular attribute they have in common was their dowdy appearance when they walked on stage in the Britain's Got Talent competition, Paul in 2007 and Susan in 2009. Both, hopefully, have changed the perception that success is firstly about looks and presence with talent in second place and will continue to excel and rise to fame on the basis of their unique talents alone.
Winner of 2007 Britain's Got Talent – Paul Potts
Two years ago, Paul Potts self consciously shuffled onto ITV's Britain's Got Talent stage. A mobile phone salesman, he was nervous and wanted to leave the stage. “When I stepped on to the stage the crowd were baying for blood. The act before had been a disaster. As I walked to the mark, in my £35 suit, I just wanted to turn around and run away" Paul Potts – Interview ITV 2007. But he didn’t run away – instead he mustered the courage he needed to stun the audience and judges with his rendition of Puccini's Nessun Dorma. More that 13 million viewers watched him win the first series of Britain’s Got Talent on ITV, winning the £100,000 prize money and a £1 million recording contract. He became an instant YouTube sensation with over 74 million hits so far.
What is Paul Potts Doing Now?
Paul Potts has since had a makeover, walks with confidence and wears upmarket clothes. His teeth have been straightened and fixed and no longer detract from his incredible voice.
What has he accomplished since becoming winner in 2007? His debut album One Chance sold over three and a half million albums, rocketed to the number one spot in 15 countries (including the UK, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and Mexico) and stormed to the top 10 in a further eight. In the UK, his album outsold the entire top 10 collectively in its first week. He completed a world tour in 2008 with over 100 sell out shows all over the world. His celebrity status on YouTube has made the world of opera open and enticing to millions of people.
His second album ‘Passione’ is the album release for 2009 and showcases a selection of his personal favourites including Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Memory' and more Puccini opera classics.
There is a world tour scheduled for 2011 and he has braced himself for a challenging year ahead.
Susan Boyle is the Singing Sensation of 2009 – Why is She Such a Media Hit?
Susan Boyle stepped on the stage of the 'Britain's Got Talent' show in April 2009. The judges and the audience were cynical and mocking, some in the audience rolling their eyes or shrugging. What did she do to deserve a reaction like this? Simply put, she looked like a middle-aged washer woman – another contestant hopeful with no talent.
When Susan opened her mouth to sing “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables”, her voice brought the fickle crowd to its feet in seconds – so mesmerized were they by her amazing voice. Perhaps her very ordinariness has contributed to making her a sensation - her rendition has attracted over 100 million hits on the Internet so far and continues to grow by millions each day.
“Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. [...] There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example. ” Susan Boyle
What Susan Boyle Doing Now?
The Britain has Talent final was held in May 2009 in the UK. Susan was well prepared for that and millions of people were eager to see her performance. However, despite a sterling performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables, the group Diversity were crowned as this year's winner. Susan was gracious in her defeat although she was obviously disappointed. Many of her fans feel this was her best performance yet.
Shortly after the show Susan Boyle was admitted to The Priory which is a favoured destination for stressed-out performers. She was exhausted but has made a full recovery.
Now she has written a book, released CDs, has a large fan-club and has made a fortune. The year 2011 is set to be a good year for her as well.
Fleur Hupston - Fleur Hupston is a professional freelance writer based in Botswana, Southern Africa. From this unique perspective, she writes travel ...
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