SuBo vs J-Lo

Britain's home-grown superstar has beaten the Hollywood diva to a role in the cult TV show 'Glee'. So what does she have that her rival doesn't?

One is a girl from West Lothian whose fishwife-next-door looks made her an unlikely hit on a TV talent show; the other is a billionaire superstar from the Bronx. Unlikely rivals? Perhaps. But thanks to a surprising casting choice from the cult musical television show Glee, Susan Boyle and Jennifer Lopez are now set to be Hollywood's latest grudge enemies.

The expensively groomed J-Lo, who was expected to be a shoo-in for the part of the dinner lady on Glee – which follows a group of high school misfits in a song and dance club – has now been pipped to the role by Britain's very own dragged-through-a-hedge-backwards SuBo. Asked about Boyle's proposed role in the series, Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy said: "I have two words for you: Lunch. Lady. I think Kurt [played by Chris Colfer] would just die to give her a Christmas makeover. I don't even know if she's interested, but it's been pitched."

Boyle, 49, shot to fame overnight after her performance on Britain's Got Talent of "I Dreamed a Dream" garnered millions of hits on YouTube. To rub salt in the wound for J-Lo, who has appeared in several hit Hollywood movies, this would be a first acting role for SuBo. Cynics may point out that Boyle's record label, Columbia, is the same as that of the cast of Glee, while J-Lo is signed to Def Jam. But then again, Glee's whole raison d'être is to allow the underdogs to shine.