‘America’s Got Talent’: Simon Cowell Looks Back on Susan Boyle’s “Magical” Audition From 2009 That “Changed Our Show Forever”

Simon Cowell recently got the chance to reflect on his decades-long career in the Got Talent franchise on this week’s episode of America’s Got Talent.

The record executive and television personality sat down with AGT host Terry Crews to look back on 16 of his most memorable moments from AGT and Britain’s Got Talent. One performance that no one was surprised by — but always happy to see again — was Susan Boyle’s iconic audition from 2009.

“I had been having a terrible, terrible day, and I remember saying, ‘I really, really hope she isn’t going to sing,’ because there had been so many bad singers that day,” he confessed to Crews, per NBC. “I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

Including Boyle’s performance of “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Misérables was a “no brainer,” Cowell said.

The clip showed Boyle taking the BGT stage for her audition, where she told the judges — then Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan — that her dream was to become a professional singer, but no one had given her a chance yet.

“Our expectations were quite low,” he admitted. “But she is the perfect example of ‘never judge a book by its cover.'”

She then launched into her performance, which left the audience and the judges completely stunned; so much so, she even got a standing ovation and three yes’s from the judges.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by America's Got Talent – AGT (@agt)

“This was a lady who lived on her own in Scotland and she came on the show and everything changed, you know, because up until that point, because there was a perception you had to look this way or be this age and she just changed the rule book,” Cowell said.

“This person changed our show forever,” he said of the Grammy-nominated singer’s “magical” performance. He went on to say that she was the biggest-selling artist for two years after that.

AGT fans were still moved by her performance when the show’s official account shared it on Instagram. “The best audition hands down ever in the history of the show,” someone commented.

Boyle returned to BGT earlier this year, where she revealed she had suffered a stroke in 2022.

“Last April there, I suffered a minor stroke and I fought like crazy to be back on stage and I have done it,” she confessed on stage, per The Daily Mail.

Cowell praised her for being able to come back to perform. He said at the time, “It’s so good to see you, Susan. I knew you weren’t well but if anyone was going to come back it was you.”

Though she did not win that season of Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, she did come in second place. She has since returned to the franchise for 2019’s AGT Champions.

Scroll up to watch Boyle’s memorable performance.