Susan Boyle awes judges; comes in second on Britain’s Got Talent

Following a week in which she was widely criticized, Susan Boyle came back with a bang on the finale of Britain’s Got Talent.  She performed the song that made her a YouTube sensation, “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miz, this time in a full-length shimmering gown in front of a beautiful stage setting.  The judges, who even gave her a standing ovation, didn’t have enough nice things to say:

From Piers Morgan:  “I’m not supposed to favor anyone, I should be impartial, but you know what, forget it. That was the greatest performance I’ve seen in Britain’s Got Talent history. You should win this competition. I loved it!”

From Amanda Holden: “I have never heard such powerful, confident vocals.  And can I just say, Simon had a tear in his eye and I’ve never seen that before.”

From Simon Cowell: “Win or lose, you had the guts to come back here tonight, face your critics, and you beat them.  And that’s what’s important. You can walk away from this with your head held high, Susan. I absolutely adore you.”

However, the populace of the UK apparently felt differently, voting Susan’s performance to second place behind a dance troupe called “Diversity”.

I’ve never understood British humor; maybe I don’t get this either.

What do you think?  Here is Susan Boyle’s performance.  Here is Diversity‘s.  Which do you like better?  I know it’s kind of hard to compare singing and dancing, but apparently that’s how the contest works.  My personal opinion?  Susan was robbed!

Here’s hoping Susan Boyle is able to launch a huge career, like some of the 2nd place American Idols have done!