Susan Boyle

Scottish spinster Susan Boyle became a global phenomenon in April 2009 with her stunning rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream' on the third series of Britain's Got Talent. Her powerful, elegant vocals proved a stunning contrast to her plain appearance and her triumphant performance soon went viral, clocking up over 120 million views on YouTube by the end of the year. Despite the whirlwind of media attention surrounding her, Boyle ultimately finished as runner-up in the competition and checked into the priory upon the show's completion, claiming to be "exhausted and emotionally drained". However, her loss and subsequent personal problems failed to tarnish Su-Bo's popularity, as her debut album I Dreamed A Dream sold over 9 million copies within six weeks and became the fastest selling and most successful debut album by a female artist in the UK. In November 2010, Boyle released a second, Christmas-themed album entitled The Gift and became one of only three artists ever to top both the UK and US album charts twice in the same year.