Susan Boyle

I dreamed a dream in time gone by. That dream did not involve programmes like "Britain's got talent." This year I managed to sit still for 10 - 15 minutes of an early life show before flicking the channel to something slightly less mundane. I don't doubt that some acts on that show have a great deal of talent but some are to me, frankly revolting.

Susan Boyle. Definitely a talented lady. Is she a particularly exceptional singer? I think not. There are many who are much better singers and much less well known. The Boyle effect was caused simply because she was a woman who did not look as if she had much to offer the world of showbusiness - and how she shocked that world! I saw that clip like the 2 million other people who logged on to Youtube to view the overnight BGT sensation. And I was moved! I instantly understood why she had become so popular, and something in me rooted for her. No, I couldn't bring myself to sit through a whole evening of that ghastly show, but I followed the news as an understandably mesmirised word awaited the 'inevitable' coronation of Susan Boyle.

Sadly, the coronation was not to be. And that is really as it should be. Susan Boyle was not, in my opinion, the most talented person on that show. The 5 seconds I saw of dance group Flawless told me that. And Diversity? Maximum respect to them. I did feel sad for Ms Boyle, as I have a soft spot for the underdog of any tale. The problem is that she lost that underdog status going into the final, due to the excessive media coverage of her journey and the unprecedented support she garnered along the way. She probably became, in the Great British public's eyes, less of the loveable church-going rising star, and more of the over-hyped diva, certain to win irrespective of merit.

Now, Susan is said to be mentally unstable. The press is dishing it out, and the people are lapping it up with predictable eagerness. How fickle the finger of fame. My heart goes out to Susan Boyle. I do hope she recovers and goes on to make a lot of money on the back of her 14 remaining minutes of fame.