Will Young details heartbreaking 'mini traumas' of being openly gay in 2002

Daily Mirror

14-06-2025

Will Young has reflected on his coming out experience in a new interview for Pride Month. He was pressured into revealing his sexuality after winning Pop Idol in 2002.
Will Young has paid tribute to those who came before him to fight for equal rights while reflecting on his own coming out story. The 46-year-old singer shot to fame in 2002 when he starred on, and won, ITV's singing talent show Pop Idol.
After winning the show, Will enjoyed huge success, with debut single, the double sided Anything Is Possible / Evergreen, becoming the fastest-selling debut single in UK history. His first album also topped the charts - with all of his subsequent records making the top five, including three further number ones and three at number two.
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Shortly after winning Pop Idol, Will came out and he told fans he had no shame about his sexual identity and that he had not hidden it from those in his life. In a new interview with Metro, the singer has reflected on this moment from 2002 and shared his thoughts on how the world has changed.
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He told The Metro:"It's like chalk and cheese now. I don't often really remember the sort of mini traumas that would occur being openly gay and a public figure in the early 2000s. It was so different then."
He continued to highlight the ways the country has changed since he burst into the spotlight. He said: "There was no legal support, you couldn't get married.
"You just operated within how it was then, which was like, 'Well, I'm going to get shouted out, I'm going to get threatened. No one's gonna care.' That was a given, which seems bonkers now to think like that."
And paying tribute to equal rights campaigners, he added: "We have to remember those people and those before them, because they were pretty seminal."
Will first opened up about his sexuality in March 2002 in an interview with the since defunct News of the World. He told the publication: "I feel it's time to tell my fans I'm gay.
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"It's totally no big deal, just part of who I am. For me it's normal and nothing to be ashamed about. I'm gay and I'm comfortable with that. I really don't know what the fuss is about."
It has been over two decades since the singer found fame and he continues to enjoy chart success. His 2024 album, titled Light It Up, peaked at the top of the downloads chart and reached number 5 on the official albums chart.
He embarked on a tour in support of the record last September - with extra dates added due to demand. More recently, Will has been sharing gardening tips with fans and uploading videos of his green work to social media.
Over the decades, the star has become a campaigner for mental health, winning praise from fans for sharing his own struggles and spotlighting resources so others can get help.
He also, tragically, lost his twin brother, Rupert, to suicide in July 2020. He shared his story and grief as well as the life of his brother in the acclaimed Channel 4 documentary, Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert.