Latest news with #WillYoung
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Will Young details heartbreaking 'mini traumas' of being openly gay in 2002
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. 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. 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. "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.
Metro
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Will Young: 'When I came out in the 00s being threatened was a given'
Will Young is synonymous with 00s Britain, having won the first series of Pop Idol in 2002. Through the show, Will, now 46, earned pop superstar status with his debut track Anything is Possible, and with his nine albums that followed, he became a household name and LGBTQ+ legend. While many fans will recall the huge explosion of media interest when he came out as gay shortly after the show, if it were to happen today, Will is happy to say no one would care. 'I mean, it's like chalk and cheese now,' Will tells Metro this Pride Month. '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.' Will, then, a charming 22-year-old adjusting his eyes to the spotlight, wouldn't have thought it was possible to be where we are in 2025. '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,' he says. When Will reflects on this time, he does so with even more respect for those who came before him in the 80s and 90s; the likes of singer Jimmy Somerville, Erasure's Andy Bell, Pet Shop Boys star Neil Tennant, and actor Ian McKellen. With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! 'We have to remember those people and those before them, because they were pretty seminal,' Will says. Our chat comes just as the international human rights group ILGA-Europe ranked 49 countries on their legal and policy practices for LGBTQ+ people. The results found the UK, twice top of the ranking in 2011 and 2015, has dropped to 22nd, from 16th place last year. Has Will noticed this shift? 'Wow, that's so interesting,' he says, thinking: 'I mean, I don't think I have… That rather surprises me. But it wouldn't surprise me if it was focusing on the T part of that.' More Trending Here, Will refers to the treatment of the trans community in the UK, who are often the subject of intense political scrutiny and are more likely to be subject to harassment and violence than cis people. 'You know, that's just horrific,' Will says of the UK's treatment of trans people, with a twang of exasperation. 'That's horrific across the board, how it's been politicised. It's ridiculous. It's 0.5% of people, and it's but it's always in the top 10 of anything political. It's typical marginalisation.' Will's advocacy knows no bounds, and he recently revealed how he's considering fostering children or becoming a school counsellor, putting his parental instincts to good use. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: I partied in the most LGBT-friendly country in Europe — it puts the UK to shame MORE: I married my husband – then we both fell in love with Kasey MORE: MP kicked out of parliament for second time after trashing LGBT exhibit
South Wales Argus
09-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Ruth Jones MP on need to ban fur imports and sales
We have a real history of leading the way on animal welfare. Two years ago, Wales became the first part of the UK to ban the use of snare and glue traps. Scotland then followed, and last year Labour committed to do the same in England. Twenty-five years ago, we did the same with the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act, raising the bar and setting an example for our neighbours to follow. Countries like Austria (2005), France (2021) and even Norway (2025) have all implemented 'fur bans' of their own, showing we were ahead of the curve. I am proud of our record on animal welfare. But before we absolve ourselves of being complicit in the fur trade, there is another step we can and must take: banning imports and sales. Two decades ago, we were right to ban fur farming on moral grounds – but still it is legal to import fur from beautiful, intelligent animals like foxes, mink and chinchilla. I have seen footage from a fur farm in Finland showing foxes with raw wounds, deformed feet and infected eyes. Then there were the obese, 'monster foxes' which were the result of selective breeding to increase their yield. Make no mistake – our ancestors may have used fur to survive the winter, but there is nothing natural about the fur industry today. Five years after covid, experts are warning us the next pandemic might come from one of these farms, where conditions are appalling for animals but perfect for viruses to mutate and make the leap to humans. This issue is urgent as the risk of a zoonotic outbreak looms large. I have been pushing for this change with my own piece of legislation, called the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill. If passed, it would ban the import of real fur products into Britain. Last week I carried a petition to Downing Street for the Fur Free Britain campaign with more than a million signatures and support from singer Will Young and TOWIE star Pete Wicks. Carrying the signatures to the famous black door, we were greeted by Chief Mouser, Larry, who showed great interest in our box. Afterwards an X account belonging to 'Larry the Cat' shared our photos, asking his nearly 900,000 followers to 'leave the fur wearing to the professionals'. I know Argus readers will agree that if an animal product like fur is too cruel to make in Britain, it's also too cruel to import from overseas. It is cruel and unnecessary, and high time we put the fur trade out of fashion. Ruth Jones is MP for Newport West and Islwyn.
The Independent
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Watch: Will Young discovers ancestral link to medieval royalty
Will Young was stunned to discover his ties to a medieval king in the BBC 's Who Do You Think You Are? on Tuesday (3 June). The Pop Idol winner, 46, appeared on the programme to learn more about his grandfather, whom he never knew as he died before the singer was born. Later in the episode, Young is told that he is related to a king of England who reigned from 1272 – 1307. 'Being related to a king, will it change my behaviour? I mean, the short answer is yes. Yes, it will. What you are beholding is essentially a future despot,' Young joked after the discovery.
Daily Mirror
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Will Young gives rare update on his 'wonderful partner' as he talks about plans
Pop Idol winner Will Young has opened up about his private life after the popstar previously spoke about his desire to start a family and potentially foster children Will Young has opened up about his personal affairs and the blossoming hope of starting his own family someday. The inaugural Pop Idol champion, 46, has poured out details about his "wonderful partner" and the enriching life they're creating together. This heartfelt insight comes after he previously disclosed last year his aspirations to have a family and even venture into fostering children. In an interview The i, Will said that his heart had finally unfurled, attributing this change to overcoming the limelight's challenges that once complicated his love life, in part due to the relentless paparazzi pressure he said he used to experience, reports Devon Live. He explained: "I'm in a lovely relationship. I'm having a wonderful time with a wonderful partner. I had a closed heart, but it's opened up now. Why has my heart opened up?" "Meeting the right person. And making the choice to be open to someone. If you're waiting for that Hollywood moment, you might be waiting for the rest of your life, so you've got to make a choice that you want to be in a relationship. I was restricted by the mainstream music industry. "Being followed by the paparazzi used to be stressful, but it's just not a thing any more. Maybe it was quite exciting for partners of mine in the past or maybe not; I don't know, but I don't think it made dating more difficult." Last year Will shared with Attitude magazine his dream to father a family following the release of his album Light It Up. He told the publication: "I'm quite interested in fostering... I think I'd be very good at being emotionally available and emotionally validating." Reflecting on his dating life, Will shared that he, like many others, uses dating apps. He said: "It's a bit of a lottery. My last boyfriend was off an app. And the person I'm dating at the moment's off an app." Will has been open about his personal journey, including his battle with PTSD, and how gardening has become a therapeutic outlet for him. In an interview with the Telegraph, he said: "When I first went into treatment for PTSD, I had just begun work on one of my gardens. I think because I totally focused on that, it really helped me get better. "I've found that the simple act of putting my hands in the soil helps because it's grounding... it literally grounds me, it grounds my whole body.... I find one little job to focus on, it calms me down. It is meditative." On top of his musical endeavours, Will is set to feature in the 22nd series of the BBC 's ancestral exploration programme Who Do You Think You Are?, airing tonight (Tuesday, June 3) at 9pm on BBC One.
