Susan Boyle feared crazy jibes

Susan Boyle feared people would think she was "crazy" after her spell in a rehab facility.

The Scottish singer was admitted to the Priory in the UK in 2009 suffering from nervous exhaustion.

She struggled to cope with her rise to fame after competing in the TV show Britain's Got Talent and sought help the day after finishing second on the show. Susan doesn't believe she needed to spend time in the centre, and feared it would harm her career.

"I just needed to go home and rest. That's when I thought it was all over," she told British newspaper The Telegraph. "I thought no one would take me seriously afterwards. They'd just assume I was crazy."

However, her spell in the facility did nothing to hinder her launch into the music industry. A few months later, Susan released her debut album I Dreamed a Dream – which topped charts all over the world.

Susan has since recorded two other albums, her most recent Someone to Watch Over Me, was released last year.

Despite being one of the bestselling artists in the world, Susan has always refused to take her success for granted. She constantly worries it will all be taken away from her.

"Because I'd risen so quickly, I was frightened I was going to sink quickly, too. At the same time, I felt I didn't really deserve all the success I'd had," she explained. "Although I still worry about that, I'm getting more relaxed now."

Susan's life story has been made into a new theatre show, I Dreamed a Dream. The 50-year-old plans to travel around the UK with the production and will perform the final two songs.

The play will follow Susan's difficult childhood in Scotland and her audition for Britain's Got Talent.

The star admits she was terrified before she tried out for the talent show, but did her best to put on a show of confidence.

"I tried to hide behind this persona I'd created; it was like a more assured version of me," she explained, before adding she went home, had a cup of tea and went to bed afterwards. "To be honest, I didn't give it any thought at all."