Susan Boyle's 2009 audition is one of the most memorable moments in Britain's Got Talent history.
But Simon Cowell revealed that he gave the singer, now 58, the opportunity to pull out of the final.
After winning the nation's hearts with her audition of Les Miserables classic I Dreamed a Dream, she garnered huge media attention.
"The lead up to the week of the final we sat down with her and her friends," media mogul Simon said on Lorraine today. "We said, 'Look, if it's too stressful, because it's all over the media...'
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"She said it was fine, she's going to do it. And I'm thinking, 'Fine, she's going to win.' And I'll never forget it [when they said] 'The winner is Diversity'.
"I was on that stage under 20 seconds saying into her [ear], 'We've got an album deal. Literally from that moment."
Simon said that from that moment on it was up to her when she wanted to make an album and insisted that she was "part of the family" now."
Later in the interview Simon also opened up about an awkward moment during the BGT auditions when he almost walked out.
"There was one night earlier on in the tour where it was so bad I did say to the audience that night, 'We've had an amazing run, I'm really sorry it's had to end this way but great," he laughed.
"That's how bad it was!
*Lorraine airs weekdays at 8.30am on ITV
