Amanda Holden has insisted that despite her recent entry into The Priory, Susan Boyle has no underlying mental issues.

Speaking to GMTV in New York last night, Amanda said: “I have no idea how long she will be resting for, I genuinely have no idea. But I understand that we’ve spoken to her doctors and they really have reassured us that there are no underlying mental issues and it purely is just that she’s knackered – for want of a better word. And I think, you know, as we all keep saying – to have been thrust into such a media circus for seven weeks – it’s hard enough for me, Piers and Simon to deal with, let alone somebody that’s had absolutely no experience.”

Asked whether in the future there may be more psychological screenings of contestants, Amanda said:

“You can’t kind of give every single person who’s just an auditioner that kind of longwinded attention. But I think that what was done for Susan was the right thing to have done. I know that they’ve kind of checked her out and they’ve spoken to people in her village and there was no reason that we needed to check her for anything else, and I still agree with that. All these shows take great care, and there are rules and standards that we all have to stick by. And I know that we care very much about Susan and so the right people are looking after her now.”