Susan Boyle embraced makeover challenge

Susan Boyle was happy to "let somebody loose" on her when it was suggested she needed a makeover.

The Scottish singer found fame on TV show Britain's Got Talent, where her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from the musical Les Misérables was so powerful that she became an overnight phenomenon. Stars such as Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher spoke of how impressed they were by Susan, with part of her appeal that she didn't look like a conventional star.

The singer appeared on stage in a dowdy outfit with windswept hair and as soon as she made it her team suggested it was time to inject some glamour into her life.

"I found it a pleasant challenge so I just let somebody loose on me. I just went for it, what would any other girl do? I wear nice things because it makes me feel good, it makes me feel more confident," she told BBC Radio 4.

Susan hit the headlines after it was revealed she had bought a five bedroom home but doesn't live there. Instead, she prefers the small house she grew up in.

"The old… house that my mother used to have, there is some nostalgia there. There are still some memories there, so what I did was I stuck to the… house. But the posh house is handy if I get any visitors," she explained.

The 51-year-old star has been open about the adversity she's been through. She struggled to cope after her mother passed away and cites her appearance on Britain's Got Talent in 2009 as a turning point.

Although she sometimes feels anxious, Susan is generally a happier person now.

"I still have patches of loneliness, I do have that from time to time," she said. "But I get over it because I can get out of the house and go and visit people now. I have more friends than I used to have because I was a bit of a loner before."

The star was also keen to refute claims she is a diva with a demanding nature. She admits her temper sometimes gets the better of her, but Susan also wants fans to know she is doing her best to keep that in check.

"I have been known to blow a gasket now and then but I don't think I'm a diva! I've learnt to control my temper now because I'm a bit more mature," she said.