This is how Susan Boyle's life has changed almost 13 years on from becoming an overnight sensation

Susan Boyle was widely tipped to win Britain's Got Talent in 2009 but took second place after dance troupe Diversity.

Her debut album became the UK’s best selling album of all time, and her second topped the charts.

The 59-year-old has sold over 19 million records globally, but still lives locally in her childhood home, despite the dramatic changes in her life.

The ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ singer has reportedly amassed a £22 million fortune over the years but hasn’t let her wealth get to her head. She admitted to Piers Morgan that she lives on a £300 to £500 weekly allowance which she describes as ‘plenty’.

In 2019, her four companies made a total of £2 million.

Duil Limited, her main company, generated more than £1.2 million in the past year, while her company Speur Business banked £463,000.

Speur Ltd cashed in £127,000 which was up from £22,500 the year before.

Susan’s fourth company, Speur Films which was set up to deal with money generated from a Hollywood film about her life, took £91,000 after news that a TV company picked up the rights to her biography.

While Susan isn’t flash with her cash, it did cause a rift between her and her brother Gerry, who she went more than two years without speaking to after he had reportedly threatened to take his own life if she didn’t hand over £50,000 of her money.

Over the years it is reported that the singer has given £400,000 to her sibling.

The siblings fell out in December 2013.

But in 2016, they rekindled their relationship after Gerry came to Susan’s aid when she was involved in a row with Heathrow airport staff.

Known to have never had a significant romantic relationship, Susan revealed that at 53 she had her first romantic connection and briefly dated an American doctor she met in a hotel while on tour in 2014.

The star previously said: "I did have a gentleman friend, a doctor.

"We went for lunch but I didn't tell anyone.

"But if I had a man friend it would be purely platonic - I've been on my own too long now to get married."

Speaking to The Lady magazine she admitted she was flattered by letters she received from men, adding: "It's good manners to wait to be asked, so I'll just have to continue to keep waiting.

"If I get fan letters from men, I'm flattered that they like me."

It is well-known that Susan still resides in her childhood home in Blackburn.

She paid £111,000 to own the semi-detached ex-council house next door to create her dream home.

Once, she paid £300,000 for a newly built five bedroom house, but preferred her more comfortable surroundings in her childhood home, so instead moved her niece in.

In 2016, she revealed that she had lost two stone after a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. In last year’s lockdown she took to social media platform TikTok to show her slimmed down figure as she took part in a viral dance on the platform.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.