Susan Boyle came to international attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV program Britain’s Got Talent on April 11, 2009, singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables.

Boyle’s initial appearance received a skeptical reception until she began to sing. Before she had finished the song’s opening phrase, a standing ovation for Boyle had erupted. International media and Internet response followed. She would eventually finish second, but her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream (2009), instantly became the UK’s best-selling debut album of all time.