In 2009, the world discovered Susan Boyle on the stage of Britain's Got Talent — and mocked her before she'd even sung a note. Four years later, in an interview with The Guardian, she revealed for the first time a diagnosis that retrospectively explained her entire childhood: Asperger's syndrome.
Judged before she'd even sung
On the day of her audition, Susan Boyle was met with laughter and condescending looks — before the first note. Then she sang I Dreamed a Dream, and the room's expression changed within seconds.
The 2009 audition, as referenced by The Guardian.
That contrast — instant judgment, then stunned silence — became, without her intending it, a symbol of exactly what the audition revealed: how misleading a first impression can be.
A diagnosis that explained everything, four years later
For years, the press described her as having "brain damage" or being "slow," linked to complications at birth. Speaking to The Guardian in 2013, she pushed back on that narrative herself:
"Some articles have said I have brain damage. […] I have always known that I have had an unfair label put upon me."
— Susan Boyle, interview with The Guardian/The Observer, 8 December 2013
A year before that interview, she saw a Scottish specialist, who found her IQ to be above average. The diagnosis followed: Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism mainly affecting social interaction and communication.
"I have Asperger's. […] It is a relief."
— Susan Boyle, ibid.
A career that never slowed down
The diagnosis stopped nothing: by the time of this interview, Susan Boyle had already sold 14 million albums in 14 months, becoming the first British female artist — after Adele — to have a simultaneous number one album in the UK and US. She also had a role in the film The Christmas Candle, and Fox Searchlight was developing a biopic of her life at the time, with Meryl Streep topping their wishlist to play her.
Her mother's role, and another quiet battle
In the interview, Susan Boyle also spoke about the central role played by her mother, Bridget, who died just before her success began:
"I made a promise to my mum that I would do something with my life."
— Susan Boyle, ibid.
The grief hit hard:
"I felt as if the cord had been broken emotionally and I didn't know what to do. My weight went down and my house was a bit of a mess. I had to get social services in. I couldn't cope at all."
— Susan Boyle, ibid.
The interview also reveals she went through episodes of depression when younger — a subject she addresses directly:
"It's not indulgence. It's a negative process, but if you can turn it into a positive it makes you stronger. Believe me."
— Susan Boyle, ibid.
What her story teaches us
As a child, she was nicknamed "Susie Simple" at school — a nickname that says a lot about how her difference was long misunderstood, before it had a name. She herself sums up what the diagnosis changed:
"Asperger's doesn't define me. It's a condition that I have to live with and work through, but I feel more relaxed about myself. People will have a greater understanding of who I am and why I do the things I do."
— Susan Boyle, The Guardian/The Observer, 8 December 2013
- An autism diagnosis can come at any age — even after a lifetime of apparent success.
- For women in particular, autism is often masked or misidentified for years.
- For Susan Boyle herself, a late diagnosis was experienced as a relief, not a burden.
If Susan Boyle's story resonates with you, or if you recognize yourself in a late diagnosis, feel free to reach out — you're not alone.
Source: Catherine Deveney, "Susan Boyle: 'I have Asperger's'," The Guardian/The Observer, 8 December 2013.
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