Dance Troupe Diversity Upsets Susan Boyle To Win ‘Britain’s Got Talent’

A British dance troupe of young men from Essex, England, has beaten out Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle to win “Britain’s Got Talent.”

The verdict, announced live on British television on Saturday evening, brought everyone to their feet including the judges – Piers Morgan, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden.

“The best people won,” 48-year-old Susan, who cheered the winners on, told show hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. “They’re very entertaining, and lads — I wish you all the best.”

Susan smiled and cheered as the verdict was announced. And later, she told Ant and Dec that she enjoyed every minute of her “Britain’s Got Talent” experience.

“What a journey,” she said. “Unbelievable, very humbling.”

Earlier in the evening, SuBo, as she has become known in Britain, took to the stage and performed “I Dreamed A Dream” from the musical “Les Miserables,” the same song that brought her to worldwide attention in early April.

After hearing her sparkling rendition, Piers Morgan said he could not remain impartial in his judges’ seat

“That to me was THE greatest I’ve seen in Britain’s Got Talent history… You should win. I loved it,” he said.

Amanda Holden, a British actress and “Britain’s Got Talent” judge, was nearly moved to tears during the performance and she told Susan it was a performance that would make her country proud.

“You did it girl, you did it for Scotland,” Amanda said. “Can I just say, Simon had a tear in his eye.”

Simon Cowell too offered up praise, though he stopped short of predicting Susan a win.

“You could have walked away and you could have had a lot of stuff coming your way in America,” Simon said. “Win or lose you had the guts to come back here tonight, face your critics and you beat them and that’s the most [important] thing… You can walk away with your head held high. I absolutely adore you.”

“Thanks very much,” a modest Susan replied.

Susan may not have picked up the prize – 100,000 pounds (around $161,000) – or the chance to sing for Queen Elizabeth II, but her performance was a triumph as Piers previously revealed to Access Hollywood that after a week of intense media scrutiny in the run up to the final, she almost dropped out of the competition.

“Susan was on the verge of leaving a couple of days ago, that is true. She packed her bags and she was on her way [home],” Piers told Access. “I spoke to her [on Friday morning] to check if she was OK because all the papers are full of more stories and she was laughing and joking and I think quite determined.”

Susan’s stunning performance on Saturday night came on the heels of two-months of world-wide attention including satellite interviews on NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” following her first appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent,” in April. Susan also received an invitation to the White House Correspondents Dinner, which was attended by President Barack Obama in early May, but a rep for the reality show told Access she was unable to attend due to contest rules prohibiting the contenders from attending overseas engagements.

Susan also made a host of celebrity fans including original “American Idol” winner, singing powerhouse Kelly Clarkson, and Demi Moore who posted several messages on her Twitter account about the Scotswoman.