Susan Boyle uses religion to deal with fame

Scottish singer Susan Boyle turns to religion whenever she struggles to deal with the pressures of her demanding career.

The I Dreamed A Dream hitmaker, who shot to stardom on U.K. TV show Britain's Got Talent in 2009, has made no secret of her difficulty coping with her new found fame and even checked into a rehab clinic in London to deal with exhaustion following the talent contest's finale.

In a revealing interview on BBC Radio Scotland, Boyle, who is a devoted Roman Catholic, admits the Church is her safety net and she finds companionship in God whenever she feels lonely.

She explains, "(The) Church is the backbone of my life and it always has been. It's kind of a safety net. You like to feel you've got someone to talk to and I use God as a companion.

"Sometimes, when I get a quiet space, it's good to meditate. I like to meditate on where I am and who I am - things like that."

Boyle also revealed she had a "weak turn" when she met the Pope two years ago (Sep10) after a performance in Glasgow, Scotland.

She adds, "It was rather nerve-wracking. When they told me I was going to meet his Holiness, I had a wee (little) bit of a weak turn. It was quite something, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You don't know how you feel at the time because you're too numb. It was very humbling."