Now when Boyle stepped on that stage and opened her mouth to shock audiences, it not only fast-tracked her career, but it fast-tracked the makeover! With a jam-packed schedule – from interviews to appearances and performances, Susan Boyle was the town’s hot ticket! But with a busy schedule, it took its toll on her health. The singer was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. As you may know, this “lifestyle” Diabetes is the type that’s compatible: with a good diet and exercise, it can be fought!
Taking her health seriously, Boyle followed the doctor’s advice and embarked on a weight loss journey! She successfully lost 30 pounds, with the intent that she’s not only going to keep it off but maintain the changes to her diet and exercise regime, making it a lifestyle change! She told The Sun, “I needed to stop eating sweeties and cakes. It’s the bane of my life.” But for heaven’s-sake, LET THEM EAT CAKE!
Taking to Fame like a Duck to Water!
So most people who get rich quick just start ordering sparkling water at restaurants (heh) and booking private jets – really settling into that life of luxury, you know? That is not the case at all for Susan Boyle! Remaining down to earth (which is no easy task!), Boyle remains living humbly as she had done the past 47 years. So much so that she still lives in her hometown in Scotland and in the house she shared growing up with her siblings.
Not one to be dressed head to toe in Gucci or Burberry or any other brand, Boyle’s wardrobe too, remains modest. She’s pretty happy with the simple life (think Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, pitchforks and hay bales and all) and doesn’t need much more than she had before Britain’s Got Talent. With her cat, Pebbles, Boyle enjoys her peace and quiet, with privacy and safety her two biggest concerns. Plus, having Asperger’s, it does make sense that she wants to live somewhere that is comfortable and familiar for her. You do you, boo!
Yep, Susan Boyle was Bullied Too!
Raise your hand if you’ve been victimized or bullied (by Regina George?), ever? Yeah, that’s a fair few. Our office too. Susan Boyle, like the rest of us, was bullied for being different. Yep, that old chestnut. Of course, Susan knew that stepping into the spotlight as an adult was going to attract the attention of haters too. But she bravely navigated the celebrity waves and charted her own course (heh).
In 2017, nasty insults were thrown at her by local teens (who in fact got even more aggressive, but we’ll get to that later on!), and Boyle, as the classy mature woman she is, held her head high and ignored them. Kids eh? Despite her hard front, Boyle later told media outlets that it did indeed get to her – and hey, we can appreciate that, it sucks! People suck, etc. “Who wouldn’t cry?” She told the Daily Mail. It brought back memories from her childhood and school bullies. If it continues, she'll most definitely want to the police… but Boyle is all about giving people a chance and the opportunity to see right from wrong. But that doesn’t mean she's a pushover, she told them!
Gerry Boyle’s Demands for Compensation
So Susan was going along, enjoying the fame rollercoaster, and not to mention a heck of a lot of royalties, which, in 2013, garnered her a net worth of $27 million! Now when those sorts of figures are announced, you’d expect charities and the like to start popping up asking for donations. But no, it was her brother, Gerry, who asked for a share of her earnings! Whilst her other siblings watched on somewhat flabbergasted, Gerry kept badgering Susan to give him the $60,000 sum he asked for!
Seems that old family feud was back, but with financial requests! When Boyle denied her brother of the funds, Gerry went for the cheap shot, and threatened to commit suicide if he wasn’t given the money! Isn’t that just awful? And the best part is his claim: he figured that whilst the media were asking questions of the family, he should be compensated – and that she “owed” him! So did Susan give her brother the money? Or did she draw the line?
Getting Clucky? Boyle’s Plans to Adopt
It’s no secret that Susan Boyle loves children. After the two-year-long feud with her brother Gerry, and the resultant reconciliation, she was able to meet his grandson Alfie. “It was lovely,” Gerry said. “She couldn’t stop picking him up.” After the encounter, all Susan could talk about was having her own. But she wasn’t waiting around for some guy, nor IVF, and it’s been said that she’s considered adopting a child!
“I have so much love to give,” she told The Daily Mail. “I want to adopt a child who doesn’t have much, who I can really give something to. It’s a way of giving back to me. I love children, I always have but I couldn’t have them.” She admits that people don’t take her seriously on the subject, to which she optimistically replied, “They have a giggle at me. Let’s see.”