Boyle continues to rest after 'anxiety attack'

Producers became concerned about her after the show when she reportedly began acting strangely.

On Sunday night Boyle was taken from her central London hotel to the Priory clinic, in north London, after doctors were consulted. Her brother Gerry said she had suffered an anxiety attack.

In separate interviews yesterday, 'Britain’s Got Talent' judges Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden argued that it may have been a good thing that Boyle lost the final.

Morgan said he was glad she would now have the time to rest and recover after weeks of intense media scrutiny, while Holden said it was a blessing Boyle had been beaten by Diversity.

Speaking on US TV channel CBS, Holden said: “I think it’s taken its toll on her, she’s gone from a woman that nobody knew to worldwide fame.

“For anybody in the business to handle that kind of stress is an enormous amount of pressure. I think she probably just crumbled under it.

“She will just need some time to recuperate and rest. And actually it’s probably a blessing that she didn’t win because now the spotlight is not so heavily on her, so perhaps she can just relax and enjoy what’s happening to her rather than feel the pressure.”

Asked if Boyle was vulnerable and ill-prepared for international stardom, Holden said: “I don’t think there is anything that could prepare anybody, even the producers of our show, for the phenomenon that was Susan Boyle.

“She would have gone through rigorous checks before the show. I think that every possible box was ticked before she went through the auditions.”

Speaking to Sky News, Morgan said Boyle’s dream had always been to win a recording contract rather than win the show and he was confident she would achieve that.

“Probably it’s a good thing all round that Susan actually didn’t win, and has a chance now to be slightly under the radar for a while and let Diversity bask in the glory of their great triumph.

“I would hate their glory today to be overshadowed by what is a sad thing for Susan but not a very serious matter – she’s just exhausted and needs some rest.”

Police were called to Boyle’s hotel after she began acting strangely following her unexpected defeat, and she was taken to the Priory after being assessed under the Mental Health Act.

Reports claimed that she shouted backstage “I hate this show” and threw a glass of water at a member of staff who tried to calm her.

TalkbackThames, which produces 'Britain’s Got Talent', said Boyle was “exhausted and emotionally drained” and was being offered “ongoing support”.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he watched the show and had spoken to Morgan and fellow judge Simon Cowell to check on Boyle.

“I hope Susan Boyle is OK because she is a really, really nice person and I think she will do well,” Mr Brown told GMTV.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond wrote to Boyle to congratulate her on her performance and tell her she was a “true winner”.

Boyle has been tipped to make millions from a singing career and bookies are already predicting a number one chart hit in America.

The church volunteer appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s television show after millions of people logged on to YouTube to watch her spine-tingling Britain’s Got Talent audition.

Her new-found celebrity ensured the competition kept grabbing the headlines and with 19.2 million viewers, the final was the most-watched television programme in the UK for five years.

But recent days saw a backlash against Boyle, who was accused of four-letter outbursts at her hotel and faced speculation she would not be able to cope with the pressure of fame.

Yesterday, Mr Boyle, 55, said his sister was recovering well after the strain of recent weeks, and he expected her to leave the clinic in a few days.

Speaking from his home in Musselburgh, East Lothian, he said: “She sounded a bit happier, she sounded a bit more like herself, but certainly a bit more rested and she seems to be coming home.

“I think her friends in America would call this an anxiety attack.

“She’s been on a tremendous rollercoaster. There’s been an enormous amount of media speculation and intense activity.

“She’s not used to that. She’s coming to terms with that now that she’s no longer an anonymous face.

“I think what led up to it was the build-up to the show and just psyching herself up for that and then wondering after the show ’where do I go now?’.”

Ashley Banjo, Diversity’s leader and choreographer, said Boyle had been very gracious in defeat, congratulating the group and joking with them backstage, and he expressed sympathy for her situation.

“I feel for her because she had a lot of hype around her and she didn’t ask for it,” he told ITV’s This Morning.

“She’s going to have a great career anyway, and I wish her well in whatever she does. She’s a really nice lady.”

Diversity took 24.9% of the public vote in the final, above Boyle’s 20.2% share. The contestant in third place, saxophonist Julian Smith, gained 16.4% of the vote.

Just under four million people voted, ITV said.

Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom said viewers had complained about several aspects of the show, but no formal inquiry was planned yet.

A spokesman said: “There have been a number of complaints regarding various aspects of the show.

“We will look at all the complaints, but at this stage we are not planning on launching an investigation into it.”