Susan Boyle is undeniably the biggest underdog surprise of recent times, and not of this year alone. The Scottish singer, who emerged on the scene with a heart-rending performance while auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent, is now preparing for the release of her debut album, the much-hyped “I Dreamed a Dream” that arrives in stores on November 23. For one last time before this happens, she openly talks about her mental breakdown of a few months ago in an interview with the Daily Mail.

For those who haven’t seen her in a while, one might as well note that the Susan Boyle of now is nothing like the terribly nervous woman who took the stage to stand in front of and ultimately amaze music mogul Simon Cowell and his panel of judges. Of course, deep down inside and in her relations to others, Susan continues to be the same painfully blunt and direct woman who makes a very strong point of being honest in all circumstances. It’s her appearance that has changed – but not out of vanity, Susan explains for the Mail.

“I was fed up with being called that.” Boyle says of the “Hairy Angel” nickname she got stuck with once she shot to instant international fame. “I didn’t know what I looked like on television until I saw myself on Britain’s Got Talent. I saw this wee wifey with the mad hairdo and the bushy eyebrows and said, ‘Hmmm, not really telegenic.’ So, I decided to spruce myself up a bit. When I look in the mirror now, I see this sophisticated lady. I’m still a bit like that wee wifey inside, but more refined in some ways. I think any woman would have done the same. Would you want to look like the Hairy Angel? I don’t think so.” the singer says of her makeover.

She hasn’t really changed, though, nor will she do in the future. For starters, she wanted too badly to become a singer to let fame get to her head, she says. Secondly, although only beginning her career, she already almost saw it all go down the drain when she had the mental breakdown early this year and had to be admitted to The Priory, the famed London clinic for mental health, for some R&R. Fame can do that to one, Susan states, because there is so much pressure from all sides that someone who is new to the game, like she was, can’t but crack under it.

“This is the last time I will mention the Priory. Everything had built up and I was exhausted. You have to understand, my life ceased to be normal when Britain’s Got Talent went live. There were a lot of press people outside my door, a lot of television people, a lot of people who wanted a piece of me. I thought, ‘God, what’s happening here. I’m a reasonable singer, but I never expected that.’ I had to draw my blinds, and even after that they started hammering on my door. […] I was quite frightened. I felt very vulnerable, because I was living on my own.” Susan says.

The night she was rushed to the clinic, she hadn’t eaten and slept properly for about a week. She can hardly remember what she did during that time or, for that matter, much of the season finale of Britain’s Got Talent. She doesn’t regret any of it, though, because, it it’s happened, then it must have been because it was meant to. Plus, this way, she now gets to appreciate what she has more. With the kind of talent that is bottled up inside Susan Boyle, she would have probably appreciated her moment in the spotlight and the lengthy career that is about to follow without this particular episode, fans believe.

For the full interview with Susan Boyle, see the Daily Mail piece here.