Susan Boyle’s longtime idol Elaine Paige has called her a virus, and that’s a good thing! The West End star said that the Scottish Internet phenomenon was like a disease that spread across the world in no time.

Boyle, 48, first revealed she idolizes Paige during her momentous “Britain’s Got Talent” audition last year. From then on, she released a best-selling album, performed across the Atlantic, and amassed thousands of fans worldwide.

She was also fortunate to perform a duet with Paige on her own TV special, “I Dreamed a Dream: the Susan Boyle Story,” in December.

For Paige, however, Boyle’s overnight success wasn’t impressive.