Oh dear. That Susan from BGT has - apparently - been detained under the mental health act

[HecatesTwopenceworth]

just watching the news atm.

piers is one of the sneakiest most underhand newspaper editors in history.But it shows how good he is as he has a whole new section of the public duped.

I thought she looked as if she was on tranquillisers or something during the final - very emotionless, not bouncy & sparky as she was at the beginning of all this.

This is very sad & I hope she can be helped, & that she can eventually be a singer as that is clearly what she would like.

There is a HUGE audience for shows like X Factor and BGT, you only need to look at the number of threads on here to see that.

Personally, I avoid them like the plague but despite this I still know all about Susan Boyle's backstory due to the wall-to-wall media coverage.

As myredcardigan said I hope the Diversity group are allowed to study properly and not shoved onto the tour. As there's a big gang of them they should be able to look out for each other. The older ones seem like they've got their heads screwed on.

"and I said to dh during the final that I thought she looked like a bit of a bunny boiler. I must be telepathic."

The woman has learning difficulties. That does not make her a bunny boiler.

Not sure that Susan Boyle's 48 year history of learning difficulties can be blamed on Piers.

'history of learning difficulties' sounds like you are criminalising her with that phrase...

a phrase you would use for someone with a 'history of violence'...

sorry but i know i am sensitive to this but i don't like the undertones in the sentence.

Simon Cowell is a very odd man.

stillenacht - it's an absolute fact that Susan has learning difficulties and struggles to cope. Not sure why that offends you?

no its the tone of your last sentence that i found a bit .

How would LD's offend me (my son has low functioning autism)?

You've read a tone that wasn't there.

inscotland's post "I'll listen to Piers Morgan before any other sensationalist nonsense."

Piers Morgan wrote the book on sensationalist nonsense.

Nancy - I think it is the phrasing "History of.." that still is pointing out.

you don't have a "history of" learning difficulties - it doesn't change. You don't have periods in your life when you have LD and periods when you don't. It's who you are. All the time.

"History of.." has a different meaning.

You don't, for example, have a history of autism, or a history of cerebral palsy, or a history of downs syndrome. iyswim.

thats what i meant to say Hecate - 'a history of' implies that it is variable and sort-of choice led.

And everyone who had anything to do with this disgusting modern day freak show should now be feeling thoroughly ashamed of themselves. And in that I include the people who watched it.

What Seeker just said.

They will make these programmes as long as there is an audience for them.

No audience = no programmes.

I agree seeker.

I think the coverage of this story is pretty unpleasant.

She wasnt detained under the mental health act, she was assessed, and admitted to hospital voluntarily.

Also, the phrase 'learning difficulties' isnt that specific. It doesnt automatically mean that she is incapable of making her own decisions.

Ok - was born with learning difficulties.
Didn't meant to imply that her problems were selective.

She will now have a career and a chance to make money doing what she loves - something she would never have had before. I wouldn't want to deny her that.

And everyone who had anything to do with this disgusting modern day freak show should now be feeling thoroughly ashamed of themselves. And in that I include the people who watched it.

I watched it and am not ashamed.

Thanks Nancy

Yes she will undoubtedly be 'flavour of the month' for a while (remember Steve Brookstein et al....) but at what cost to her mental health?

I think the whole situation is deeply sad and think Cowell et al are self centred bastards

Agree Seeker. They have shamefully exploited Susan Boyle to promote the show. It's all gone a bit tits up now though hasn't it?

I really hope there is an OFCOM investigation of some sort as there was into BB after the Shipla / Jade thing a few years ago.

and yes i am aware i keep saying 'et al' lol!

it's worth pointing out that she's been trying to get on TV for about 20 years - she was on a Michael Barrymore show before and some other one that i can't remember the name of.

She does want the fame and success, she's not being forced against her will.

But, I do think, on this occasion it did get out of hand and I think it's as well she didn't win.

One of the most patronising things is that the judges are making out that she's far better than she actually is.