They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Still, in 2009, when a frumpy, hip-swinging Susan Boyle told Britain’s Got Talent judges Piers Morgan, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden that she planned to sing “I Dreamed a Dream,” Morgan could hardly keep the smirk off his face. The reality series, which debuted in 2007, brings singers, dancers and other entertainers together in a talent-competition format. But Boyle had the last laugh when, within seconds of opening her mouth, she silenced the crowd with a beautiful rendition of the Les Misérables classic. Morgan moved her on with the “biggest yes” he’s ever given anyone on the show, and the clip of Boyle singing became one of the year’s biggest viral hits. Boyle has gone on to astounding recording success; her first album, released in 2009, debuted at No. 1 on charts around the world. She is also a favorite on TIME’s annual TIME 100 poll in which readers vote on who they think are the 100 most influential people in the world.
32 Epic Moments in Reality-TV History
From American Idol mania to The Real World's first spat, TIME looks at the best, the worst and the most tasteless episodes of the genre that's been a national obsession for nearly 30 years
Britain’s Got Talent: Susan Boyle’s Singing Stuns Judges
Full List
Reality-TV Moments
- Jersey Shore: Snooki Gets Punched
- Deadliest Catch: Captain Phil Harris Dies On Air
- Punk’d: Justin Timberlake Cries
- Toddlers & Tiaras: A Preschooler in a Madonna Cone Bra?
- The Hills Is Revealed as Fake in the Series Finale
- Survivor: Kelly Wiglesworth Gets Slammed
- The Real World: Puck vs. Pedro
- America’s Next Top Model: Tyra’s Big Tantrum
- The Bachelor: Jason Picks Melissa, Then Molly
- An American Family: The Louds Split Up
- American Idol: Kelly Clarkson Becomes a Star
- Celebrity Big Brother: The Racism Scandal
- The Real Housewives of DC: White House Gate-Crashers
- Dancing with the Stars: Tom DeLay’s ‘Wild Thing’
- Extreme Makeover: The First Shocking Transformation
- Top Chef: The Head-Shaving Incident
- Newlyweds: Jessica Simpson and the Chicken of the Sea
- Jon & Kate Plus 8: The Gosselins Announce Their Divorce
- Fear Factor: Rat Smoothie Anyone?
- 16 and Pregnant: Lori Gives Up Her Baby
- The Osbournes: Defining Modern Celebreality
- Project Runway: A Cheating Designer Is Kicked Off
- The Girls Next Door: The Bunny Swap
- Britain’s Got Talent: Susan Boyle’s Singing Stuns Judges
- Flavor of Love: Pumpkin Spits in New York’s Face
- The Apprentice: Omarosa Gets Fired and Hired and Fired
- The Simple Life: Walmart Mystifies Paris
- Rock of Love: Bret Michaels’ First Annual Mudbowl
- 19 Kids and Counting: Baby No. 19 Goes Home
- Jackass: Scott Plamer Skydives Without a Parachute
- Queer Eye: The Nudist Episode
- Celebrity Rehab: Jeff Conaway Breaks Down