Grazia
Sarah Reid
Paul Potts became a worldwide sensation when he auditioned for a UK talent show. Now it’s Susan Boyle’s turn. Paul tells Grazia what she can expect with her newfound fame
I flipped a coin to decide whether to audition for Britain’s Got Talent, and never in my wildest dreams did I expect that it would change my life as much as it has.
Walking on stage in 2007, I was a bundle of nerves, but I just sang. To my disbelief I won, and in a heartbeat I went from selling mobile phones to flying around the world and performing for the Queen.
Like millions of others, I watched Susan Boyle sing I Dreamed A Dream, from the musical Les Miserables, on YouTube while I was in New Zealand last week. Seeing the judges smirk before she began reminded me of my own experience on the show. As a child I was taught that first impressions last, but my performance, and now Susan’s, have proven that first impressions aren’t always right. I think that’s a great lesson for people to take away; that many people have good qualities that you don’t immediately see.
I may not look like your typical singer, but I haven’t been pressured to change my image. I had my teeth fixed because I have always been terribly self-conscious about them – in my wedding album there isn’t a single photo of me smiling with an open mouth. But that’s it.
If Susan is pressured to change I would advise her to resist it. The most important thing is to stay true to who you are, because you have to live with yourself when it’s all over.
Good luck to her.
Paul Pott’s second album, Passione, is out now
Sarah Reid
Paul Potts became a worldwide sensation when he auditioned for a UK talent show. Now it’s Susan Boyle’s turn. Paul tells Grazia what she can expect with her newfound fame
I flipped a coin to decide whether to audition for Britain’s Got Talent, and never in my wildest dreams did I expect that it would change my life as much as it has.
Walking on stage in 2007, I was a bundle of nerves, but I just sang. To my disbelief I won, and in a heartbeat I went from selling mobile phones to flying around the world and performing for the Queen.
Like millions of others, I watched Susan Boyle sing I Dreamed A Dream, from the musical Les Miserables, on YouTube while I was in New Zealand last week. Seeing the judges smirk before she began reminded me of my own experience on the show. As a child I was taught that first impressions last, but my performance, and now Susan’s, have proven that first impressions aren’t always right. I think that’s a great lesson for people to take away; that many people have good qualities that you don’t immediately see.
I may not look like your typical singer, but I haven’t been pressured to change my image. I had my teeth fixed because I have always been terribly self-conscious about them – in my wedding album there isn’t a single photo of me smiling with an open mouth. But that’s it.
If Susan is pressured to change I would advise her to resist it. The most important thing is to stay true to who you are, because you have to live with yourself when it’s all over.
Good luck to her.
Paul Pott’s second album, Passione, is out now
