What Susan Boyle's Home Really Looks Like
Ever since she first set foot on the "Britain's Got Talent" stage in 2009, Susan Boyle has been known for her powerful voice and quirky personality. Even after she captured global attention and adoration, Boyle has never forgotten her roots, which is obvious in her decision to live in the humble but beautiful council home where she grew up in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. Although we haven't heard from Susan Boyle as much as we used to, she invited OK Magazine into her West Lothian home in 2020 where she showed off the beautiful transformation of her house.
Susan Boyle, nicknamed "SuBo" by fans, marches to the beat of her own drum. When she auditioned for "Britain's Got Talent" in 2009 with "I Dreamed a Dream," she reminded every person watching her, including the famously-cynical Simon Cowell, to not judge a book by its cover. Turning laughter into a standing ovation, Susan Boyle established herself as someone who lives the life she wants to live. She became known as someone who subverts expectations — a quality which she has not abandoned years later.
Catapulted to fame after she finished as runner-up on "Britain's Got Talent," Susan Boyle found international success as a singer and amassed the fans and wealth that some only dream of. Yet, the Grammy-nominated artist continues to live where she grew up in West Lothian, though she has since transformed it into a beautiful and modern home.
Despite owning 'The Posh House,' Susan Boyle prefers her childhood home
One might think that Susan Boyle's net worth would allow her to buy a lavish home and establish an opulent lifestyle. With this in mind, to hear that she continues to live in her childhood home may come as a surprise. And it's true that her success has given her the means to establish the lifestyle of a typical celebrity, but that's not how SuBo rolls. She did purchase a luxurious villa on the other side of town in West Lothian that she calls "The Posh House."
According to The Daily Mail, Boyle purchased "The Posh House" for £300,000. However, she told The Guardian that she never moved into that house. Although it is just a mile away from her old home, SuBo realized that the new home wasn't the place where she wanted to live and made the decision to stay in the semi-detached £65,000 council home where she grew up.
Home for Boyle represents a place of history and memories. On living in her childhood home, Boyle said, "I've spent most of my life in this house and I won't move now, because I feel it's part of my history" (via Express). After making the decision to maintain a connection with her past, she gave the keys to the Posh House to her niece, who now lives in the home.
The piano room celebrates music
It comes as no surprise that Susan Boyle has a room in her council home entirely dedicated to music. Full of personal and meaningful messages, the music room is fittingly the first room the Grammy nominee chose to show when she gave OK Magazine a tour of her home in 2020. After entering the home through the front door, you are immediately greeted with a piano that peeks out from the first room on the right — the music room.
Although it makes sense for a piano to be in the home of a singer who has found international success, it may be surprising to learn that Susan Boyle is only just learning to play the piano. With a smile on her face, Boyle said, "That's a giggle for a start because I can't even do scales! I'm only learning at the moment" (via YouTube). A book titled "It's Never Too Late to Play Piano" sits on the stand.
Several religious statues and other Christian iconography stand on top of the piano, looking out at the walls of the music room where you will find paintings and plaques that celebrate the success Boyle has found in the music industry. It's easy to imagine Boyle sitting down at her piano to practice her scales and finding encouragement from the visual reminders around the room. Not a bad way to spend her time and grow as a musician.
The record plaque displayed on the wall represents Susan Boyle's pride in her music
As mentioned, Susan Boyle is deeply proud of her musical accomplishments. Not everyone is able to achieve their dreams as Boyle has. On the wall in her piano room hangs a beautiful plaque that was awarded to Susan Boyle in 2011 by Sony Music Australia to recognize one million sales of "I Dreamed a Dream" and "The Gift" — two of her biggest songs.
The beloved song from "Les Misérables," "I Dreamed a Dream," was the song Boyle originally auditioned with in 2009. With a combined video count of over 680 million views on YouTube, "I Dreamed a Dream" continues to be the pinnacle of Boyle's musical fame.
When Boyle's second album, "The Gift," was released in November 2010, it debuted in the number-one spot on Amazon's bestsellers as determined by pre-order sales, according to Billboard. With two Grammy nominations and three Guinness World Records, Boyle has broken enough records to prove to the world that she is a truly unique talent.
Her newly renovated kitchen is beautiful
Moving on from the music room and into the rest of the home, Susan Boyle shows off her kitchen. It has been newly renovated, now boasting sleek gray cabinets, a beautiful backsplash, and elegant decorations that include a porcelain horse figurine — which is perhaps a nod to her popular song, "Wild Horses." As she gazes around at her new kitchen, Boyle laughs and says, "You've got to have a mess before you have a palace. This is the end result" (via YouTube).
As she does with many of the rooms in her home, Boyle recollects how the kitchen used to look before she completed its renovations. Apparently, it used to be extremely small and difficult to move around in. Her face lights up as she remembers, "You had to really watch what you were doing." She laughs as she remembers how small it used to be, saying, "You hadn't the room to swing a cat."
She proudly displays a picture from when she met the pope
On the windowsill of her brand-new kitchen, you'll find a picture of Susan Boyle shaking hands with Pope Francis. She met Pope Francis in 2019 when she performed for him as part of a special Christmas concert in Vatican City (per Metro). It was an honor that meant a great deal to her as she is a practicing Catholic.
In the photo of Susan Boyle and Pope Francis, they are both smiling happily at each other. Illuminated by the light of the window, you can practically feel how meaningful that moment was to Boyle not just in her career, but in her personal life as well.
Boyle told Mirror, "I have to pinch myself at how lucky I am and 10 years on I'm still having the most fantastic time with these incredible opportunities. I don't and won't ever take this for granted." The humility and appreciation that SuBo has for life are some of the reasons why she is such an inspiration to many.
Susan Boyle remembers her time with Comic Relief with a framed poster
As you walk toward the living room from the kitchen, you will find a framed poster in the hallway, featuring Susan Boyle and comedian Peter Kay when they collaborated in 2011 for Comic Relief. Comic Relief is an organization that features the work of celebrities to raise money for charity. Susan Boyle and Peter Kay, who performed as his alter ego "Geraldine McQueen," covered Elaine Paige's song "I Know Him So Well." It was a massive hit and raised over £42 million, according to The Daily Mail.
Not only was their collaboration a success for Comic Relief, but it seems to have led to a friendship between the singer and comedian. They reunited 12 years later in May 2023 when Boyle attended "Peter Kay Live" in Glasgow, bringing great joy to the many fans who fondly remember and adore their Comic Relief collaboration (per The Daily Mail).
The living room gives a warm welcome
After passing the framed Comic Relief poster on the wall of the hallway, you enter Susan Boyle's living room. This room is full of personality and warmth — just like SuBo herself. The newly-wallpapered stripes of this room breathe life into the space and invite you to make yourself at home. Gray seems to be a favorite color of Boyle's, as a gray couch sits comfortably against a wall. Boyle describes how, after being away for so long, she finally had some work done on her living room — including new furniture and updated flooring.
The beautiful fireplace is one of the focal points of this room. Willow Tree figurines elevate the already-elegant fireplace that brings a sense of literal and figurative warmth into the room. You can almost imagine her sitting in her chair by the fireplace, smiling and humming.
Along with the beautiful fireplace, the quirky decorations Boyle has chosen for her living room are one of the highlights of this room. A statue of a rabbit and two statues of cats lounge in front of the fireplace. On the opposite wall, a painting of a deer hangs peacefully. Throughout her home, the decorations reflect her personality and the things that are important to her.
Susan Boyle's faith is reflected in how she decorates her home
All throughout her home, there are themes that continually reveal themselves through what Susan Boyle has chosen to display. Music, of course, is one of these central themes. The other theme that continues to show up is that of Boyle's faith and strong connection to Christianity. The significance of Boyle's Christian upbringing is obvious throughout the house — and in her career. After all, before she performed her own concerts, she began singing in her church choir. From paintings of Mary to crosses on the wall, Boyle's faith undoubtedly plays an important role in her everyday life.
Throughout her time in the public eye, Boyle has not shied away from speaking about her faith. Susan Boyle is a practicing Roman Catholic and even shared in an interview on "Fern Britton Meets..." how her religion and relationship with God has helped her navigate fame.
Not only has religion helped guide her in her life in the spotlight, but Susan Boyle has even cited her religion as the reason she remains single, according to AZCentral. Though she does want a family, her faith is deeply important to her, and she would like to find a partner who shares her same level of commitment.
Her honorary doctorate of music hangs humbly on the wall
It has become apparent during Susan Boyle's time in the public eye that staying humble is important to her. Even with the great success she has found in her career as a celebrated singer known for her great talent, there are ways that Boyle finds humility through all of it. The way she chooses to display her honorary doctorate of music is one of the greatest, and sweetest, examples of this pattern.
In 2015, Susan Boyle was given an honorary doctorate by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Donning ceremonial robes, she attended and received her honorary doctorate in Glasgow with her fellow graduates. This degree from RCS marks Boyle's second honorary doctorate — the first being an honorary doctorate from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh that celebrates Boyle's "contribution to the creative industries" (via The Daily Mail).
Susan Boyle casually pinned the certificate on her wall with simple thumbtacks.
Her childhood bedroom is now her dressing room
Moving upstairs to the second floor, Susan Boyle shows off her dressing room — which is full of history. Before this room was her dressing room, it was the room where she and two of her sisters Brigid (whom she still calls "Bridie") and Cathy used to sleep. As the youngest of nine siblings, Boyle lived in close proximity to her siblings. As she describes the room, Boyle recollects the transformation that it and her family experienced throughout the years, recalling when her sister Mary married and "left the nest" (via YouTube).
In the room are several hangers full of necklaces, a bowl with pearl jewelry, a teddy bear, and a table of perfume — including Chanel No. 5. Artwork on the windowsill reminds Boyle to always keep to her dreams. Her motto of following dreams has been close to her throughout her life.
Her older sister Bridie, whose 2015 passing affected Boyle greatly, is reported to have been a great encouragement to her little sister (via Daily Record). On the wall hangs a print that reads, "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass ... It's about learning to dance in the rain."
She used to have a record player that played the Osmonds
While standing in her dressing room, Susan Boyle remembers a record player that used to sit in the corner when she shared the room with two of her sisters. She then shared how she has always been a fan of the Osmonds — and Donny Osmond in particular. After taking a pause, she turns to the person behind the camera and cheekily observes, "You're too young to mind the Osmonds!" (via YouTube).
But this house tour was not the first time SuBo shared her love for Donny Osmond. According to Express, the walls of Boyle's room were covered in pictures of him and she even attended one of the Osmonds' shows in Glasgow without her parents knowing.
Since her rise to fame, another one of Boyle's dreams came true when she met and even collaborated musically with her idol. Susan Boyle and Donny Osmond performed two songs on Boyle's album, "Standing Ovation," and they also performed together in Las Vegas in 2012. She said to Express, "The Vegas show was really special, I was on cloud nine."
Susan Boyle chooses to keep her spare room and her bedroom private
Although she welcomed the camera crew of OK Magazine into nearly every room of her renovated home, Susan Boyle chose not to show her spare room or her bedroom. Though she walks past the spare room briefly, she points it out but does not show it, saying that "it still needs to be done up" (via YouTube). She made no mention of her bedroom, leaving it out of the tour altogether. This decision to keep some of her rooms private is in line with Boyle's values, as privacy has been important to her throughout her time in the spotlight — especially when regarding her health.
After the finale of "Britain's Got Talent" in 2009, Boyle checked into a clinic where it was reported she was receiving treatment for the exhaustion she was experiencing after the intensity of the competition show's finale. Soon after, newspaper editors were told by the Press Complaints Commission to respect Boyle's privacy and not publish news about her health.
Additionally, to further emphasize how important her privacy is to her, SuBo sued her brothers Gerry and John Boyle in 2010 after they expressed concern about her in interviews. Additionally, when she suffered a stroke last year in April 2022, Susan Boyle kept the news quiet. It was only recently in June 2023 that Boyle revealed how she had overcome a stroke when she appeared once again on "Britain's Got Talent."
There is reported tension with some of her neighbors
Not only has Susan Boyle experienced tension with the press and her brothers, but she is also reported to have had a rocky relationship with a few of her neighbors. Teresa Miller, a former neighbor of Susan Boyle's, reportedly claimed that SuBo's singing was disruptive. According to Miller, Boyle would practice her songs at full volume and even use a microphone. Boyle's representatives denied the validity of Miller's claims. According to The Daily Mail, Miller has left the property after being asked to move out by her landlord.
Unfortunately, Boyle has experienced harassment and intimidation from local teens. According to The Daily Mail, teenagers have thrown stones and pieces of burning paper at her when she leaves her home to frequent shops or uses the bus.
However, despite the difficult things she has endured, SuBo still loves her home in West Lothian, saying, "Why would I move out because of a group of teenagers who behave like that? They are bullies who shout and throw things, but it is my home and where I feel safe."
Susan Boyle's home reflects the love of her family even despite strained relationships
It's obvious from the family photographs around her home that Susan Boyle's connection to her family is important to her. Her relationship and bond with her mother and sisters has seemed to be a source of meaning for her throughout her life. However, since her rise to fame, Boyle's current and past tensions within her own family have become the object of increased speculation as more are becoming interested in the untold truth of Boyle's life.
SuBo appears to help her family with their finances quite frequently, and there have been claims that Boyle's brother Gerry Boyle threatened suicide in order to secure money from his sister in 2013 (per Express). He denies these claims, and their relationship has reportedly healed in recent years.
Even when her relationship with her family can be difficult, Susan Boyle's home is decorated with photos of those she loves. After all, though she could have chosen to leave, SuBo remains in the home of her childhood and the memories of how she got to where she was. What she told OK Magazine during the 2020 house tour sums it all up wonderfully: "I couldn't do anything too extravagant or over the top because I have got my parents. My parents will probably come back and haunt me. It's good to stay grounded. You get the glamorous side and then you've got the more natural side."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).