American TV blitz nets tears for Susan Boyle

By April MacIntyre Nov 30, 2009, 13:46 GMT

11/23/2009 - Susan Boyle - Susan Boyle in Concert on NBC\'s Today Show Toyota Concert Series - November 23, 2009 - Rockefeller Center - New York City, NY, USA © Janet Mayer / PR Photos

Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who stunned the world with her "where in the he** did that come from" appearance on "Britain's Got Talent," has been in a non-stop career building push since her electric moment on the UK talent show.

Boyle was photographed in New York thumb-sucking and in tears on her U.S. tour moments after finishing a televised performance on the Today show.

The Daily Mail published the photos that show the popular 48-year-old amidst a sea of fans at New York's Rockefeller Center.

During her personal appearance, she withdrew and began to suck her thumb, crying and was visibly shaken, according to the Daily Mail reporter.

Boyle's camp shared that Susan was simply overcome with emotion at how caring her fans were, and was "extremely touched with the reception she had had from everyone in America."

Boyle's album is tracking with very robust sales, and is expected to sell nearly 400,000 copies this week making it the fastest selling album of the year, according to the Mail.

Boyle is also dealing with the fallout of New Zealand TV host Paul Henry's televised remarks about her alleged intellectual disability, calling Boyle "retarded" on the air.

Henry defended his remarks to Sunday Star Times saying: "The remarks I made were specifically with regard to Susan Boyle and they were light-hearted."

Henry spoke on "Breakfast on Monday" in New Zealand, describing how Boyle was "starved of oxygen at birth" and suffered an intellectual disability.

"If you look at her carefully, you can make it out," he told viewers. "Here's the really interesting revelation: she is in fact retarded. And if you look at it carefully, you can make it out, can't you?"