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Years ago people used to pay money to stare at what we called ‘freaks of nature’ . We spared no thought for their feelings – it was assumed they had none – and we expected them to be grateful that we paid them any attention at all. That was when such displays were part of travelling circuses, now you have the modern day equivalent such as Britain’s Got Talent with it’s very own freak-show star in Susan Boyle.

Say what you will but that is how this poor woman has been treated and now, as I predicted weeks ago would happen, Susan has finally crumbled under the enormous pressure and been assessed under the Mental Health Act. She was admitted to The Priory clinic under police escort during the night.

I will not go into the details of her collapse but I will say a few things about the way Susan Boyle has been treated in the seven weeks since she became a worldwide sensation. She has been treated like a freak, and if you do not like that word then tough. Producers of BGT found this unsophisticated, not-too-bright lady and excitedly held her up for all to see as would a child finding a ten pound note on the beach.

The world was stunned because such a beautiful voice came out of a plain looking face – she was cruelly dubbed the ‘hairy angel’ because she did not pluck her eyebrows and patronising celebrities such as Demi Moore wanted to be her friend because she was good publicity and certainly no threat to their own cosmetically enhanced reflection in the mirror…

If you doubted her ability to cope you were shot down; her ‘fans’ expected great things – tours, recordings – the media had her all but winning BGT. Her ‘fans’ expected too damn much. When the cracks in this woman’s emotional state started appearing last week the paying side-show audience took a shocked step backwards as it began to dawn on the gawping public that Susan Boyle WAS what she only ever claimed to be; an unassuming woman with learning difficulties who lived a sheltered life and just loved to sing.

The public did not want Susan to make the transformation from ugly duckling to graceful swan even if she wanted to  - her appeal lay in her matronly appearance. The same image and odd persona that caused her to endure a lifetime of unkind comments and teasing from local kids now combined to make her famous, no wonder she is so distressed and confused.

BGT is now blaming Susan’s breakdown on the public; “public backlash lost Susan the show – it is better for her that she came second”...says Piers Morgan. There was no public backlash Mr Morgan, it was your own show which turned against it’s biggest star. I think it is safe to say that BGT manipulated the voting so that Susan would not win – don’t be so foolish to say the producers did not see last nights events coming…they decided she would win and then decided it would be better if she did not.

Susan should have been mentored, she should have been cared for. The public need to back off and NOT demand more than she is able to give. Her lack of looks were celebrated while her lack of IQ was conveniently ignored because ‘it is not nice to treat someone of low-intelligence differently just because of the way they look’ – but I am sure PT Barnum would be proud…

She does not need to be a worldwide phenomenon, we do not need her to tour and churn out CD’s for public consumption – she needs to be taken home and looked after. The world can find itself another idol.