Ant McPartlin has revealed that Susan Boyle's iconic Britain's Got Talent audition didn't strike him as "remarkable" when it first happened. The presenting duo, Ant and Dec, shared their memories on their podcast, Hanging Out With Ant and Dec, recalling how Susan became a "global superstar overnight" after her 2009 performance.
Ant and Dec's Podcast Revelations
During the podcast, Dec described the whirlwind of attention Susan received, noting that her audition had 20 million views on YouTube by the Monday evening after the Saturday night broadcast. "She literally became a global superstar overnight," he said. Ant added that American news crews were fighting to interview the judges and paparazzi were hanging around the studios.
Ant confessed that on the day of the audition, he didn't remember it being particularly remarkable. "Not as remarkable as when I watched it back and you saw the judges reactions and the audience reactions. It was a good audition, but we had seen a lot of good auditions that day," he admitted.
Surprise and Emotion
Dec highlighted the surprise element, recalling that Susan had been backstage with them just ten minutes before, eating sandwiches from a tupperware box. "We didn't expect that lady to get up there, on stage and sing like that and bring the house down," he said.
Ant also mentioned that watching the show a second time, with the audience reactions and camera work, sometimes makes him teary. This allows them to see the "proper audition" rather than just watching from the sidelines.
Fan Reactions
Fans flooded the comments section with their own memories. One wrote, "She brought me to tears! I was thrilled for her! I emailed it to relatives in the USA, who later on, when Susan toured over there, they all went to see her wearing red scarves like she did." Another said, "I don’t watch the programme but I will always remember my mom talking about Susan’s audition." A third commented, "It was such a HUGE TV event - we remember watching it, what a moment!!"
