Britain's Got Talent is gearing up to announce its latest winner, with one of the eight finalists set to bag a £250,000 prize and the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Show.
The ITV competition has seen 17 winners so far, with Sydnie Christmas currently holding the title, joining the ranks of past victors such as Diversity, George Sampson, and Paul Potts.
Yet, the programme's most remarkable success story isn't a winner.
Back in 2009, Susan Boyle captured hearts and shocked judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan with her historic audition.
"No one had any expectation, they thought I was a joke.... And then I started to sing," she once reminisced.
As she conquered her nerves and "stomped on stage," neither the panel nor the audience anticipated the phenomenon that would follow.
She went on to release multiple singles and eight albums, earned two Grammy nods, and became the first female artist to notch up three consecutive number-one albums within a span of less than two years.
Susan has made several comebacks to the talent show circuit. Her latest appearance was in 2023, when she performed a duet with X Factor's Lucie Jones and revisited her iconic audition piece, "I Dreamed A Dream."
During this period, Susan disclosed her private struggle with health issues, having endured a minor stroke, yet she expressed her determination to return to performing and "fought to be back on stage".
The 64-year-old has now made an emotional return to music after taking a step back from the limelight.
After a respite from the public eye, Susan ventured back into the recording studio for the first time in half a decade following the release of her album A Wonderful World in 2016.
She took to Instagram earlier this month to share: "Today was wonderful, emotional, and everything in between.
"I made my return to the recording studio for the first time in six years, something I was told I might never achieve again.
"But here we are, in my happy place! I want to thank my manager, Geraldine, for being my absolute rock through everything and for helping me get back to where I belong. A million thanks."
Despite her break from the spotlight, Susan remains among Britain's Got Talent's most notable success stories, boasting a reported net worth of $40,000,000 (£30,000,000), as per CelebrityNetWorth.com.
However, she's openly shared that she doesn't intend to squander her wealth.
Reflecting on her life before the talent show in a 2019 YouTube video, she revealed, "Life before BGT was incredibly hard. I'd been the sole carer for my elderly mother, and money was incredibly tight. I struggled to pay the bills and buy food.
"It was a pretty miserable existence, and I always felt like an outsider looking in."
Moreover, she confessed: "I'm not a big spender, because for 47 years I didn't have any money, so I like to save it for a rainy day."
The chart-topping songstress has remained true to her modest lifestyle, opting to purchase her mother's council home in Blackburn, West Lothian.
Susan took a moment to reflect on her remarkable journey, admitting she "never thought" she'd achieve such incredible success or have the chance to perform in so many countries worldwide.
"I still have to pinch myself to believe it. I'm incredibly lucky and I thank god every day for how blessed I have been."
Britain's Got Talent airs at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Although Susan was the runner-up to Diversity, she achieved global stardom, boasting the top-selling debut album worldwide in 2009.
