Just a few months back, Potts was a mobile phone salesman in his hometown of Port Talbot in South Wales and now, when he's not hopping across continents, he's got his neighbors knocking for autographs. After a series of hardships including a bicycling accident and cancer scare, the worldly tenor has a major label deal and is serenading audiences around the globe.

After stopping by AOL Music for a Sessions performance, Potts paid visits to the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' and even taught infamous celebrity blogger Perez Hilton some opera. See why Potts' lucky break is well-deserved as he delivers powerful renditions of 'Nessun Dorma,' 'Con te Partiro,' 'Caruso' and more in our studio.

AOL: Just a few months ago you were working as a mobile phone salesman. How has your life changed in that time?

PP: Life has changed quite a lot in the last 3 to 4 months. Three months ago I was a mobile phone salesman for one of the biggest mobile phone retailers in the U.K. I never believed that I'd actually find myself right here in America -- and many other places -- releasing an album. It's a huge privilege to able to do what I love doing. It's simply more than I could've ever dreamed of.

AOL: Did you have a moment when you realized that this sudden onslaught of success was indeed happening to you?

PP: It's difficult to even believe now that this is happening to me. If anybody had told me six months ago that I would be here, I would have told them to get off the funny juice. [But] the first thing that hit me was finding myself in so many different places, meeting so many different people. I've received huge welcomes at every place I've visited. It's all still a bit like a dream for me at the moment.

AOL: What made you decide to pursue a career in opera rather than more popular styles of music?

PP: I've just always loved singing classical music. I started listening to classical music when I was 11-- just after I watched the film 'ET.' I went out and bought the vinyl LP, and listened to it. I actually used one of my mom's knitting needles and pretended to conduct the orchestra 'cause I felt like I should participate. And from there I started listening to Tchaikovsky, Lodewijk, Bronson and lots of other different composers. [Then] I started to listen to show songs and opera when I was 16. It wasn't until my late twenties that I even considered singing opera.

AOL: When did you first realize that you could sing?

PP: It's difficult to say. It's just something I always always done. I sang from the age of five at a local church choir, and it was always the thing that made me feel safe. Singing got me out of harms way in many ways because I'd go to school choir and avoid the bullies. Before and after singing I'm always quite nervous. Before each interview, I'm actually quiet shy and nervous as well. It always feels like a bit a bit like a performance.

AOL: You've certainly had your share of hardship, between a biking accident and a cancer scare. How did you overcome those obstacles?

PP: Well, I was lucky that the tumor, although it was very big, turned out to be benign. That didn't stop me from singing but the bicycle accident did -- partially financially and partially because I had my adrenal gland removed at the same time as they removed the tumor. I was literally in bed for months. I slept maybe 6 hours in the first month because the right position for my neck was the wrong position for my shoulder, and the right position for my shoulder was the wrong position for my neck. I had a severely fractured collar bone and quite serious whip lash. The stress of all that meant I had no energy. I was actually paying to sing at the time and then I didn't have the resources to actually continue, so I made the decision that I was going to stop singing and get on with trying to earn enough money to start paying of the debts. The only thing that really got me back into singing was when I was working in February of this year, I came across the 'Britain's Got Talent' website and picked up the application form from it and filled it out. But I thought, 'Well, do I have enough talent? Am I too old or am I what they are looking for?' I couldn't decide whether to press submit or cancel. I got a ten cents piece out of my pocket and thought that if it lands on heads, then I'll submit the application. If it lands on tails, then I'll cancel it and leave it at that. So I tossed the coin and fortunately for me, it landed on heads.

AOL: How would you describe the experience that you had on the 'Britain's Got Talent'?

PP: The experience feels like a bit like an awakening. It's like I found a part of me I've lost. When I walked out onto that stage in Cardiff, I wondered what was going to happen when I actually opened my mouth. I was shocked to the reaction that I got on that day; I was shocked at each stage I actually got through. It's like I found a friend again. I've always loved singing and I hope that people enjoy hearing it as much as I love performing it.

AOL: What advice did you get from Simon Cowell?

PP: Simon's advice to me was for me not to change to be who I am , to just enjoy things and keep at it.

AOL: The video from that performance has become a tremendous YouTube hit with millions of plays. How much of a role do you feel the Internet will play in your career?

PP: The Internet is coming into its own now. It's incredible that you could be on the other side of the date line and be able to speak to someone you know. I've used the Internet to keep in touch with my wife when I'm away. I met my wife through the Internet so it's been quite important in my life. I [even] applied for the show through the Internet. It's an incredibly important medium now.

AOL: What is the reaction when you go back to your hometown after all the success that you've had?

PP: When I've been back to Port Talbot where I come from in South Wales, every time there are quite a lot of knocks on the door from the young children in the area wanting my autograph. I'm getting a lot of people wishing me well and thanking me for putting us on the map, which is very flattering. I'm just glad that people seem to enjoy what I do as much as I love doing it.

Source: AOL