The singer, who shot to fame after competing on the tele-reality series Britain’s Got Talent, admits that she was often in trouble as a child.
"You’re looking at someone who would get the belt everyday," said the 48-year-old star.
Boyle explained that she had a very difficult time learning, which often resulted in punishments from teachers, but also cruel words from her classmates. "I’m just a wee bit slower at picking things up than other people. So you get left behind in a system that just wants to rush on."
The singer believes that today, teachers are better able to understand students with learning disabilities. However, she added that the way she was treated by her classmates was much more painful for her. "There’s nothing worse than another person having power over you by bullying you and you not knowing how to get rid of that thing," Boyle explained.
Shortly after doing Britain’s Got Talent, Boyle had to be treated in a London hospital for exhaustion. However, now she’s back on stage and feels ready to face the media attention that surrounds the release of her first album, I Dreamed a Dream. The album will be available on Monday (November 23).