"When you sing a song, you're telling a story," she explains. "That's what I was doing when I sang 'I Dreamed a Dream.' But that wasn't me singing about becoming a singer. It was about the position I was in after my mother died." Boyle lived with her mom until her death at age 91 in 2007. "I did the audition for her because she always wanted me to make something of my life, but I had to wait a bit because her death prevented me from singing for a while. I couldn't put my heart into it. So I was singing about wanting things to be like they were before she went. You know, it was a double-edged sword because it was about what I wanted to do, but it was also about wanting to turn back to when she was with me." Boyle pauses. "Powerful stuff," she adds, as if to make light of it.

Despite her newfound fame, there are a lot of things Susan Boyle doesn't do. She doesn't go on holiday or go out much. She isn't into fashion or gourmet food. She isn't married, doesn't have children, and hasn't seen the world. When I ask her if she's been shopping, for example, she shakes her head. Not even to Selfridges? "Where?" she asks, half joking. But feeling financially secure must surely be a bonus. "Hey, you don't just do it for the money. I don't do it for the money, babe! Who do you think I am?" But then why do it? She isn't expansive when she talks, but she knows how to answer this question. "I do it to entertain people," she says firmly. "I sing to make people happy."

I said: 'Susan, are you sure this is still all OK?' And again she said, yes, she was fine. I told her the most important thing was that she enjoyed the experience; that it had to be the best night of her life. Even then, I didn't pick up on any unduly troubling signs. She was nervous, yes, but no more nervous than Paul Potts had been before his live final two years previously. She understood the significance of the night.

Then, during the final show, at the crucial point when the dance group Diversity won, I looked over at her face and thought: 'Christ, she doesn't know how to deal with not winning.' It was a bad moment. Afterwards, I went over and gave her a hug and tried to reassure her. 'Susan,' I said, 'my offer to record an album with you still stands.' And we agreed that we would work together; that it wasn't the end of the road for her.

After that, I left the studio. I remember having a drink that night and trying to relax, but still feeling a bit strange. Something just didn't feel right. And sure enough, it wasn't. No need to repeat the details here - that wouldn't be fair to Susan. On a practical level, the question was whether she wanted to go ahead with the Britain's Got Talent live tour. I wasn't sure, so we gave her the opportunity of not taking part. But, after a few days at home in Scotland, Susan was determined that she wanted to do at least some of the dates.

It was agreed that it would be under her terms, and whenever she felt it was too tiring she could choose not to participate. The nights she has performed have been incredible. She has had some fantastic reviews and I think it was a huge boost for her when she did the live dates in Glasgow and Edinburgh and had thousands of her own Scottish fans cheering her on.

She dreamed a dream, and it very nearly came true. But Susan Boyle's reality show journey finished Saturday with a second-place finish in the finals of Britain's Got Talent, an ending that didn't fit the fairy tale. Instead of the 48-year-old internet sensation, an exuberant dance troupe called Diversity took the 100,000-pound ($159,000) prize and will perform for Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety Show.

Boyle paced around the stage as the hosts named the top three of the ten final acts, and looked almost relieved when her name was called as the runner-up. She recovered in time to graciously praise the dancers. "The best people won," Boyle said. "They're very entertaining. Lads, I wish you all the best." Boyle then curtsied several times to the audience, gave them her signature shimmy, and strolled offstage.

*****

But when she stepped into the spotlight Saturday, Boyle seemed more polished -- and animated -- than in previous appearances. She wore a modest, but glamorous, floor-length gown, and chose to go back to the song that rocketed her into the international spotlight: "I Dreamed a Dream," from the musical "Les Miserables."

Her hometown of Blackburn, Scotland -- a small, working class village about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Edinburgh -- rallied round her, stringing up posters and signs in her support. Friends and neighbors gathered at a local pub to watch the performance.

A clip of Boyle, 47, singing "I Dreamed A Dream" from musical Les Miserables in the show's auditions has been watched some 60 million times on the video sharing website since April and her fans include actress Demi Moore.

As the "Britain's Got Talent" auditions round ended Saturday, Boyle was named among 40 acts who will go through to the live semi-finals from Sunday, when she will make her eagerly-awaited second appearance on the show.

When asked how she felt after the judges made their decision, Boyle said: "On top of the world, it's fantastic", punched the air and did a dance.

Speaking of the semi-finals, she added: "I really want to do my best, get out there and do my best, and anything can happen."

"Susan would be perfectly happy with a lucrative reality show," said a source who knows Boyle. "She'd love to win (Britain's Got Talent), but there are no guarantees of success with a singing career. If she got a really good reality show deal she could have a nice savings and go back to the life she was living before all of this happened." Boyle admitted to Oprah Winfrey that she didn't necessarily think she was going to win the competition.

"Well, I've the chance but at the same time, there's a lot of other talent in the competition," Boyle told Winfrey and Simon Cowell during her May 11 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Simon tells "Extra's" Terri Seymour that Boyle's performance made a bad day into a memorable one. He says, "I remember we were up in Scotland and had a terrible, terrible day. I was bored. I was frustrated. And this little old lady comes on stage [and I say,] 'Here we go again.'" Cowell was immediately ready to dismiss the 47-year-old. He says, "I thought this audition was going to last three seconds. So did the audience." Cowell was pleasantly surprised. "Then she started to sing and I've never ever felt anything like it in my life. The whole place just turned. And it was just the most astonishing feeling at the time."

For once, Simon is happy! He's glad to see Susan is such a big hit. Cowell says, "She's a sensation over the world. Good for her... I'm really happy for her because she's a really, really sweet person. This is going to change her life."

Moore, who has starred in Ghost and GI Jane, was sent a YouTube link of Miss Boyle's rendition of I Dream A Dream from Les Miserables, by her husband Ashton Kutcher.

Kutcher, 31, whose username is aplusk, urged his wife to watch the clip, saying "This just made my night."

Moore, 48, replying as MrsKutcher, told him "You saw it made me teary!"