Give Susan a break, says Morgan

Staff contacted police to say Susan Boyle was acting strangely at her London hotel (AP)

Susan Boyle, who became an overnight star after performing on ITV's Britain's Got Talent, is cracking under the pressure of fame, one of the show's judges said yesterday.

Ms Boyle reportedly lost her temper and started swearing in the lobby of London's Wembley Plaza Hotel, after being "wound up" by journalists. Police stationed at the hotel intervened.

In a blog, Piers Morgan, one of the programme's three judges, wrote: "My heart bleeds for the poor woman. Susan is finding it very, very difficult to cope, and to stay calm. She has been in tears many times during the last few days, and even, fleetingly, felt like quitting the show altogether at one point and fleeing all the attention."

He added: "Becoming the biggest star on the planet so fast is a scary, unsettling, upsetting thing. I am calling today for everyone to give her a break."

Whether or not she is the world's biggest star, her rise to global fame has been unprecedented in its speed and scale. Two hundred million people have now watched her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables on YouTube, more than any other clip.

Two days before "the biggest day of her life", Morgan finished by reminding the public – and the media – that: "Susan's just a sweet, middle-aged lady from a Scottish village, who can't really comprehend the sheer scale of what's happened to her. And far from decrying her, shouldn't we all be celebrating the amazing journey she has gone on?"

She remains the favourite for Saturday's live final, which is expected to attract over 15 million viewers. The winner will get £100,000 in cash and a slot in the Royal Variety Show.