Gift basket

Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who shot to fame on a British TV talent show in 2009, is searching for a duet partner to appear on her new album.

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Published: Mon 12 Jul 2010, 12:14 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 12:37 PM

“I thought that what I would like more than anything this year is to be able to give something back — to pass on the gift that I had been given,” the 49-year-old said on her website in advance of the announcement on Friday. Her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream, shot to number one in more than 20 countries, and, with nine million copies sold worldwide, was one of last year’s biggest hits.

Her follow-up will be called The Gift.

The competition, to be run on her official website www.susanboylemusic.com, will be open until July 23, and the winner will be announced on July 26.

Boyle has invited entrants to upload videos of themselves singing Christmas carol Silent Night.

“There are a lot of people out there who wouldn’t have the confidence or perhaps the means to enter a big competition like Britain’s Got Talent,” Boyle said of the programme that made her an international star. “So this might be a lot less dauning for some people as they can record the song in the privacy of their own home. I’m hoping that people who have always wanted to sing will give it a try. I wish you all good luck.”

Boyle’s rendition of I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables in April last year has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times on YouTube.

The church volunteer from a small town in Scotland surprised audiences and the judging panel with the power of her voice, and within days the world’s media was camping outside her modest home and turning her into a household name.