Please do not equate her voice with her looks.
Okay, so she’s had a kind of “make-over”, but who gives a damn?
She has a beautiful voice!
I have to add this: I have never seen the program Simon Cowell (Who the fuck is he anyway???) is on. I am not a fan of “reality tv” or its like.
Sorry, just not.
Q
I actually despise reality television too Quasi, however in this rare circumstance I would highly recommend viewing the clip Skara_Brae linked to above. It is actually wonderful performance, because she really seemed to be in the moment, and its genuinely inspiring. The YouTube clip got about two and a half million views in its first 72 hours online and was so inspiring that Cameron Mackintosh went on record praising it. Wikipedia says that there was an LA Times article that discusses the popularity of the clip stemming from “broad range of emotions that are packed is a single short clip” which is a pretty accurate assessment.
And because she really goes all out to give a performance of a lifetime, it’s a doozy! 
Edit: For those who aren’t familiar with Cameron Mackintosh or his role in musical theatre, Sir Cameron is the producer of some of the biggest and most successful productions in the history of the performing arts, including Phantom and Les Miz from which Boyle performed her big song.
I think people are concentrating on her dowdy looks, rather than her dowdy life. She lived alone in a village in Scotland with only a few cats and the local children laughing at her and throwing rocks when she walked down the street. She’s a puritanical Catholic, mentally infirm, and possibly slightly retarded. And yet she went out on stage and absolutely wowed people with a voice that belied her looks and persona.
Yeah, she’s not the best singer in the world, but she was a complete amateur (though she apparently has made a couple of amateur recordings in the past). And now her album has sold millions - fair play to her.
Non Gay male here and, um, no. I have no criticism of her singing ability, however.
Yeah. She’s one of my alltime favorite artists, but I’m sticking with frumpy. OK, blowsy. How’s blowsy?