Will Young Interview

 A feature from the May 2016 issue of Suffolk Norfolk Life magazine
Suffolk Norfolk Life May 2016Click to view this issue »
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Stephanie Mackentyre meets English singer and songwriter Will Young

Pop sensation Will Young headlines Newmarket Racecourses on June 24th “I love doing the Racecourse because it’s a very rare and special kind of gig. One reason is because it’s open air. The second reason is because people are already having a great time before they’ve even heard the music. They are really up for it.”

After being crowned the winner of Pop Idol in 2002, Will Young has gone on to be one of the most successful talent competition winners ever. His debut single ‘Anything Is Possible’ is included in the best-selling singles of all time in the UK, having sold over 1.7million copies alone. He’s had incredible chart success with tracks including ‘Leave Right Now’, ‘Jealousy’ and ‘Light My Fire’, with all seven of his studio albums reaching the top 10 in the UK charts. His latest album, 85% Proof, became his fourth UK #1 album. His fame and considerable fortune haven’t been without pain however. As an artiste he’s struggled in the past with self-doubt and first saw a therapist in 2004. Admitting to feeling insecure in his work with low self-esteem: “I thought I was useless. If I got a job, I wanted the next one. I never lived in the moment, and I was always comparing my work to someone else’s.”

After winning Pop Idol he turned into “Mr Perfect”, always wanting to achieve an even higher self-set goal. “I’d be thinking if I get this house, this boyfriend, this car I’ll be content. Sadly buying a Ferrari doesn’t bring you happiness.”

However, Will feels the TV Talent Show pulled his family back into a tight unit at a time in their lives when everyone was naturally going their own way. “Things like that don’t happen very often in life when everyone can get together, like a really big wedding. It was a time when my friends and family all came together and were all celebrating this bigger thing. We certainly became a lot closer as a unit; we are quite unbreakable now. Even with the fallout of me being famous, with press ringing my home, even those negatives really created a tight nucleus of a family. It was great, especially during the final stages of the show leading up to the finale, as all we did was laugh and dance.” Will has an older sister Emma and younger twin brother Rupert (younger by 10 minutes). I asked what they thought of having a famous brother: “It doesn’t matter to them; they have their own lives. I don’t think they really care. They support me of course, but I don’t think it bothers them.”

Despite Will feeling he wasn’t achieving enough, by 2012 his net worth was estimated at £13.5 million. However, he found temporary solace spending thousands on living the high life and doing up his houses. His spending spree found him purchasing homes in London’s Holland Park, Dalston, Brighton and Cornwall. “The thing with addiction is you hope it will take away the pain.”

Read the full interview in the May 2016 issue of Suffolk Norfolk Life Magazine
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