Simon Cowell: Susan will only sing once she's better

Susan, 48, was recovering yesterday in The Priory clinic, north London, after suffering an emotional breakdown at her hotel on Sunday night.

She was being assessed by doctors under the Mental Health Act. The shy Scottish spinster – who has learning difficulties – had been left “emotionally drained and exhausted” following her shock defeat in ITV1’s gripping final on Saturday night.

But talent show boss and judge Simon, 49, reassured Susan’s millions of worldwide fans she will never be made to do anything against her wishes.

A senior source said: “Simon knows fans want to see her on the Britain’s Got Talent tour but if she isn’t ready for that, then she won’t appear.

“She won’t be made to do anything unless everyone feels happy she’s fit.

“Simon is very concerned about what has happened to Susan and he wants to make sure that she rests and recuperates before she does anything else.”

Cowell, who still has every faith that Susan Boyle can be a recording artist, given the right care and nurturing, was in constant touch with her in the run-up to the final.

He took time last Friday to pop in to see her at her secret location when she threatened to quit the show and packed her bags.

The source continued: “He has enormous faith in her as a recording artist of the future and he’s been flooded with all kinds of offers for her from all over the world.

“But he’s put his foot down and told everyone, ‘Susan isn’t signing anything or doing anything until she is better.

“She will only do what she personally feels happy about doing and that’s the bottom line.”

In an unprecedented outpouring of emotion, Susan Boyle became an overnight global superstar after the audition tape of her singing I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables was viewed by millions around the world.

But in a shock result at the weekend’s BGT final, the singer was beaten by dance troupe Diversity. She was gracious in defeat on the show, but later it is claimed she shouted backstage “I hate this show” and threw a glass of water at a member of staff.

By Sunday night she was behaving so oddly at the four-star Crown Plaza hotel in Westminster that a team assigned to her alerted a GP.

He decided she should be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. A hotel source said: “The staff were concerned – something wasn’t right. She looked lost.”

Her favourite BGT judge, Piers Morgan, 44, said: “Nobody has had to put up with the kind of attention Susan has had. Nobody could have predicted it.

“It has been crazy, she has gone from anonymity to being the most downloaded woman in history.”

Andrew McCulloch, of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “It is only right that she is being supported and is getting the care she needs.”

Fred O’Neil, Susan’s friend and former voice coach, said: “I hope that whatever fame she has got out of this will eventually bring her happiness.”

Her brother Gerry said his sister, who until April lived alone with her cat Pebbles in Blackburn, West Lothian, would bounce back.

“She is a bit tired and maybe even a wee bit homesick.

“When I spoke to her yesterday she was asking about her cat.

“It’s going to take a wee while for her to get her head round all this because she just comes from a wee village.”

Industry insiders say she could earn £10million in a year because of her global fanbase, especially in America.