Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle has revealed she was beaten and bullied as a child.

The Scottish singer said her school teachers would frequently hit her with a belt, even though she suffered from learning difficulties.

“You’re looking at someone who would get the belt every day,” she said. “‘Will you Shut up, Susan!’ – whack!”

Boyle, 48, admitted she was a “slow learner” in class – but said it was different for children today.

''There was discipline for the sake of discipline back then,” she said.

“But it's all very different now. I think teachers are taught to understand children with learning disabilities a lot better.''

In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Boyle also spoke about the death of her parents and revealed her “faith” had helped keep her going.

The singer, who came runner-up on this year's Britain's Got Talent, releases her debut album I Dreamed A Dream later this month.

Susan Boyle - Through The Years