Susan Boyle documentary to air on BBC at Hogmanay

Image caption, Susan Boyle will be the subject of a new documentary exploring her rise to fame

A new documentary about the life of Scottish singer Susan Boyle will be part of the BBC's Hogmanay TV line-up, it has been announced.

There's Only One Susan Boyle, which will air on BBC One Scotland, will explore her journey from obscurity in the West Lothian village of Blackburn to worldwide stardom after her appearance on Britain's Got Talent in 2009.

Her rise to fame came after her performance of I Dreamed A Dream, which shocked the judges on the talent show and has since been viewed more than 260 million times online.

While eventually losing out to dance group Diversity in the final of the show, she has gone on to sell millions of records and been nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Her rise to fame came after appearing on Britain's Got Talent in 2009

After breaking through on Britain's Got Talent, Boyle went on to produce seven studio albums, the first of which hit number one in both the UK and US.

The album, also called I Dreamed A Dream, became the UK's best-selling album in 2009 and the second in the US, behind Taylor Swift's Fearless.

While largely remaining out of the public eye since the release of her album Ten in 2019, marking a decade since her Britain's Got Talent appearance, she fronted Irn-Bru's 2026 Fifa World Cup advertising campaign and has recently spoken out against the proposed development of an AI data centre in Larbert, where she now lives.

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Published23 December 2025David Marshall, creative director of production company Tern TV, which made the documentary, said: "More than a decade and a half since she first wowed the nation, Susan's story continues to inspire, and in her own words we get to hear how that one moment in time changed her life forever and made her a true national treasure."

Boyle shared her excitement for the programme, saying: "My life changed overnight after Britain's Got Talent, and it has been an extraordinary and unexpected journey ever since.

"I hope the programme reminds viewers to stay true to themselves and follow their dreams."