Susan Boyle may have a peppy personality and a snazzy sense of style; however, it’s her voice that has earned her countless fans and made her famous. That’s why she’s offered an update on her ability — or rather, her current inability — to sing four years after suffering from a stroke.
Susan Can’t Sing or Speak Properly Due to the Stroke
“Susan Boyle has revealed she’s been left unable to sing and speak properly,” the Mirror reported on Friday, June 5. Four years ago, the “Britain’s Got Talent star, 65, who shot to fame on the ITV talent show in 2009 with her rousing rendition of I Dreamed A Dream, … suffered a stroke, which she says has affected her ability to sing and speak.”
“I have had a lot of speech therapy,” Boyle told The Sun UK. Although she admitted that “[i]t was difficult at first,” she also noted that her “voice slowly started to come back” following “the first few weeks” of working on her recovery.
Getty“I have been having a lot of vocal lessons, too, for my singing,” she added. “It still needs some work, but I am sure my singing voice will come back.”
“I am taking wee baby steps,” the star pointed out. “If you go too fast, too soon, you go down a hole. It took a while for my confidence to come back with my music. But I am getting there. Slowly.”
Susan Has Been Trying to ‘Restore Her Speech and Singing Voice’
GettyIt was back in April 2022 that Boyle had a stroke “that left her doubtful over whether she could perform again,” according to The Independent.
During an appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent” following the stroke, “Boyle opened up to co-hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly about why she has kept a low profile as of late,” The Independent explained.
“Susan, it is so lovely to see you, welcome. It’s hard to believe that you appeared on this show in 2009, 14 years ago,” said Donnelly, via The Independent.
Boyle was then asked about what she was feeling during her return to the show, and she responded by saying, “It feels great. It’s really good. It’s extra special for me actually, last April there, I suffered a minor stroke and I thought it’d be crazy to be back on stage and I have done it.”
The Independent notes that “[s]how boss Simon Cowell applauded Boyle, revealing that he had known that she had recently been unwell.”
GettyThe Independent also explained that “[t]he stroke she suffered in April 2022 left her unable to speak and sing properly, with significant muscular weakness down one side. She had to complete intensive vocal coaching lessons to help restore her speech and singing voice.”
Boyle talked to STV News in December 2024 about what she’s been through, saying, “I had a major stroke, maybe three years ago. I had to fight my way back […] It’s been hard, I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But it’s given me a hunger to keep going.”
