Singer Susan Boyle has revealed that she received assistance from the mental health charity Penumbra after her mother's death left her struggling. Boyle, 65, who rose to international fame after her appearance on Britain's Got Talent in 2009, shared that the charity provided crucial support during a difficult period.
"My mother died two years before, and it was a different adjustment but then you realise you’ve got to get on with your life," Boyle said. "And that was my way of doing it. My mother wanted me to do it."
She described her circumstances at the time as dire, stating, "I was sitting at home and I didn’t have any electricity or gas and I hardly had any food and I weighed around six and a half stone. It was really that bad. I was lonely."
Penumbra's intervention helped Boyle manage day-to-day tasks and provided a lifeline during her grief. "An organisation came in to help. Without their help I don’t think I would have been fit to do anything. They were called Penumbra and they came in and helped me turn my life around after I lost my mother and gave me help with day-to-day things," she explained. "I don’t know what I'd have done without them."
Boyle's comments came as she was honored with an Icon award at the Scottish Music Awards in Glasgow. The singer has sold over 21 million albums globally and achieved chart success in numerous countries since her career breakthrough.