Will Young: Celebrating his incredible 20 year career

He's had a sensational career over the last two decades and beyond

Author: Laura NaylorPublished 29th Apr 2024

Will Young has had a sensational career over the last 20+ years that has seen him win Pop Idol, perform alongside Queen, win two BRIT Awards and even gain a Guinness World Record! With three greatest hits albums under his belt, it's clear that he's boasted an incredible music career since his Pop Idol days - and now we have new music from the star!

After releasing '20 Years: The Greatest Hits' in 2022, Will took the album on an incredible tour, continuing into 2023. And in 2024, the superstar isn't stopping, releasing a brand new single AND heading back on tour! In honour of the talent that is Will Young, here at Magic Radio we've taken a look back at his incredible time over the last two decades as a singer, songwriter, actor and writer - as well as what's to come!

How old is Will Young?

Will Young was born on 20th January 1979, making him 45-years-old at the moment.

Where did he go to school?

He studied Politics at the University of Exeter before studying musical theatre at Arts Educational School.

How did he become famous?

Aged 22, Will shot to fame on the first series of Pop Idol in 2001 as a contestant who performed in front of judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox. He eventually won the series in 2002.

Prior to this, Will entered a This Morning competition to find members for a new boy band. On 29th May 1999, Will performed the Jackson 5 song 'I'll Be There' in front of Simon Cowell and Kate Thornton. Will was chosen for the band, but they failed to find any success and went their separate ways.

What songs did Will sing on Pop Idol?

Will Young's first audition was a rendition of 'Blame It on the Boogie' by The Jacksons. He got praise from the four judges and went on to the London rounds where he sang 'All or Nothing', 'Up on the Roof' and George Michael's 'Fastlove'.

During his Top 50 semi-final he sang 'Light My Fire' and famously hit back at Simon Cowell's criticism after being called "distinctly average".

In the first live show he sang Aretha Franklin's 'Until You Come Back to Me', and in subsequent weeks he sang the Christmas song 'Winter Wonderland', 'Wives and Lovers' and sang 'Ain't No Sunshine' during Music from the Movies. He also sang 'The Name of the Game' by ABBA, 'We Are In Love' for Big Band Night, and then Bee Gees 'Night Fever' and Eurythmics 'There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)'.

Will went on to perform 'Beyond the Sea' and 'I get the Sweetest Feeling' before he sang his version of the winner's singles 'Anything is Possible' and 'Evergreen', as well as fan favourite 'Light My Fire'.

Will Young's new music

In April 2024, Will began to tease that he had some exciting news coming our way, sharing pictures of him on set and teasing a nine-day countdown. Then, on 11th April, the singer hinted: 'Who’s ready for new music?', before announcing five days later that he had a brand new single coming out!

Sharing a selection of vibrant clips from his new music video, Will gushed: 'It’s finally happening! Falling Deep is out this Thursday 18th April.'

His brand new single 'Falling Deep' was then released on 18th April 2024, with the music video dropping at 12pm that day. The release marks Will's first single in two years, following his 2022 track 'Why Does It Hurt'.

WATCH: Will Young 'Falling Deep' official music video:

Will's greatest hits albums

Will released his first greatest hits album in 2009, titled 'The Hits'. Fast forward 13-years to 2022, and Will released another in order to celebrate 20-years since his legendary Pop Idol win. The 2022 release was titled '20 Years: The Greatest Hits' and was released on 27th May.

After delighting fans with the album announcement in early 2022, he gushed: 'Thank you for all of the lovely messages and memories you shared to mark the 20th anniversary of when I won Pop Idol. I'm really proud to now reveal the final artwork for my ’20 Years - The Greatest Hits’ album, which is out on May 27th!'

Is he on tour?

Will Young is heading on tour from September 2024! Upon the release of his track 'Falling Deep', Will wrote: 'I’m also going on tour this year (tickets on sale 26th April!) with each show being an intimate evening of music, stories and laughter – playing ALL across the UK, including many areas I’ve never had the chance to perform before!' (sic)

Due to phenomenal demand and sold-out shows across the country, Will added extra dates in locations including Falmouth, London, Gateshead, Manchester, Bristol and Cardiff - with shows now stretching into December 2024.

Will Young 2024 tour dates:

September

Southend, Palace Theatre - Tue 3rd

London, Hayes Beck Theatre - Wed 4th

Reading Concert Hall - Thur 5th

Barrow-In-Furness, The Forum - Sat 7th

York, Opera House - Sun 8th

Bridlington, Spa Theatre - Tue 10th

Ilkley, King's Hall - Wed 11th

Stamford Corn Exchange - Thur 12th

Wolverhampton, The Wulfrun Hall - Sat 14th

Leicester, The Y Theatre - Sun 15th

Shrewsbury, Theatre Severn - Mon 16th

Northampton, Royal & Derngate - Wed 18th

Isle Of Wight, Shanklin Theatre - Fri 20th

Ayr, Gaiety Theatre - Sat 18th

Inverness, Eden Court - Sun 29th

October

Dundee, Gardyne Theatre - Tue 1st

Aberdeen, Tivoli Theatre - Wed 2nd

Edinburgh, The Queen's Hall - Fri 4th

Glasgow, Clyde Rooms - Sat 5th

Gateshead, The Glasshouse - Sun 6th

Sunderland, Fire Station - Tue 8th

New Brighton, Floral Pavilion Theatre - Wed 9th

Crewe, Lyceum Theatre - Thur 10th

Scarborough, Spa Theatre - Sat 12th

Chester, Storyhouse - Sun 13th

Sheffield, Memorial Hall - Tue 15th

Lincoln, New Theatre Royal - Wed 16th

Leeds, City Varieties Music Hall - Thur 17th

Aberystwyth Arts Centre - Sat 19th

Manchester, Rncm Concert Hall - Sun 20th

Guildford, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre - Mon 28th

Cambridge Junction - Tue 29th

Norwich Playhouse - Wed 30th

Peterborough, Key Theatre - Thur 31st

November

Bury St Edmunds, The Apex - Sat 2nd

Cardiff, The Glee Club Gloucester Guildhall - Sun 3rd

Exeter Corn Exchange - Wed 6th

Barnstaple, Queen's Theatre - Thur 7th

Newbury Corn Exchange - Sat 9th

Poole Lighthouse - Sun 10th

Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall Theatre - Mon 11th

Chelmsford Theatre - Wed 13th

Worthing, Assembly Hall - Thur 14th

Brighton, St George's Church - Fri 15th

Cheltenham Town Hall - Sun 17th

Swindon, Wyvern Theatre - Mon 18th

Bristol St George's - Tue 19th

Falmouth, Princess Pavilion - Thur 21st (NEW DATE)

London, Cadogan Hall - Mon 25th (NEW DATE)

London, Cadogan Hall - Tue 26th

London, Cadogan Hall - Wed 27th

Gateshead, Sage 2 - Fri 29th (NEW DATE)

December

Manchester, RNCM Concert Hall - Sun 1st (NEW DATE)

Bristol, St George’s - Mon 2nd (NEW DATE)

Cardiff, Glee Club - Wed 4th (NEW DATE)

Buy tickets to see Will Young from Aloud.com

Following the release of his greatest hits album, Will headed out on his 22-date '20 Years of Hits tour' in October and November 2022. The Pop Idol winner opened at Glasgow's SEC Armadillo on the 12th October, and finished at the London Palladium on Friday 11th November.

Will Young also performed shows in the summer of 2023, having already performed an open air concert in Margate, Kent. Will also took to the stage at Glastonbury Festival.

His tour history

Pop Idol Tour (2002), Will & Gareth Live (2002), Will Young Live (2004), Keep On Live (2006), Let It Go Tour (2008), The Hits Tour (2009–10), Echoes Tour (2011–12), Love Revolution Tour (2015), An Evening with Will Young (2019), An Intimate Evening with Will Young (2021), 20 Years Tour (2022).

Take a look back at Will Young's incredible career so far:

Summer 2001: Will Young auditions for Pop Idol

In early summer 2001, 22-year-old Will Young auditioned with 'Blame It on the Boogie' by The Jacksons for the first ever series of Pop Idol. Will's soulful voice and playful personality won over viewers and the judges.

December 2001: Will Young and Gareth Gates go head-to-head

Pop Idol's first live show was broadcast on the 15th December 2001 with ten contestants. Rik Waller withdrew and was replaced by Darius Rucker, who finished third. However, it was Will Young and Gareth Gates who the battle was really between, with Will topping the public votes weeks 1-4, Gareth topping weeks 5-7 and Will back on top for week 8.

February 2002: Will Young wins Pop Idol

Will Young won the competition with 53.1% of the public vote with over 14 million viewers tuning in. Will won over fans and also took home a £1 million recording contract to release his debut album.

March 2002: Will Young's Guinness World Record

Will Young's debut single 'Anything Is Possible'/'Evergreen' earned a place in the Guinness World Records after it sold over 1.1 Million copies in the its first chart week between 25th February and 2nd March 2002. The single sold an unprecedented 2 million UK singles in 15 weeks.

June 2002: Will Young performs with Queen

Will Young stepped in to sing with Queen at the Golden Jubilee pop concert of Queen Elizabeth II and was held in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on the 3rd June 2002.

September 2002: Will Young performs with Kelly Clarkson on American Idol

Kelly Clarkson performed with Will Young during the final of American Idol on the 4th September 2002 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Kelly went on to win the contest and a recording contract.

October 2002: First Album 'From Now On'

In October 2002, Will released his debut album 'From Now On' which included singles 'Light My Fire', 'The Long and Winding Road' and 'Don't Let Me Down"/'You and I', as well as his Number 1 single 'Evergreen'.

February 2003: BRIT Award win

Will was up for three BRIT Awards at the 2003 ceremony; Best British Single, Best British Pop/R&B Act and Breakthrough Artist (now named Best New Artist). He won the latter and it became his first of two BRIT Award wins in his career.

December 2003-January 2004: World Idol

Broadcast on Christmas Day 2003 and the results announced New Year's Day 2004, Pop Idol winners from 11 countries took part in ITV's World Idol. Will finished in fifth place with his rendition of The Doors 'Light My Fire'. Kelly Clarkson finished in second and Norwegian Kurt Nilsen won. Pictured left to right: Peter Evrard (Belgium), Guy Sebastian (Australia), Alexander Klaws (Germany), Alex Janosz {Poland}, Jamai (Norway), Will Young (UK), Kelly Clarkson (USA), Kurt Nilsen (Norway), Ryan Malcolm (Canada), Diana Karzon (Pan Arabic Region) and Heinz Winckler (South Africa).

February 2005: Will Young wins his second BRIT Award

At the 25th BRIT Awards in 2005, 6.3 million people watched as Will Young took home the award for British Single of the Year for his song 'Your Game'. He was also nominated for Best British Song of 25 Years for 'Leave Right Now'.

November 2005: Will Young's film debut in Mrs Henderson Presents

Will made his acting debut alongside Judi Dench in a film about the true story of British socialite Laura Henderson who opened the Windmill Theatre in London in 1931. Will Young played Bertie and featured on the film's soundtrack.

June 2008: Will Young performs at Glastonbury

Will Young performed an intimate show on the Avalon stage at Glastonbury in 2008 and wowed the crowd with his rendition of new track 'Changes'.

May 2012: Will Young joins Cabaret

Bill Kenwright presented the multi-award winning production of Cabaret which starred Will Young. The announcement was made in May and the shows began in October of that year. Will said at the time: "I am very excited about the challenge of choosing Cabaret as my first musical theatre role. The role of the Emcee is a part I have wanted to play since before I started training at Arts Education in Chiswick when I first moved to London. With Rufus and Javier I couldn't wish for better people to be surrounded by."

October 2012: Will Young releases his autobiography

Will had already released books, but Funny Peculiar was his first autobiography and detailed his experience on Pop Idol; to the crazy reality of being famous. Will opened up about the highs and lows of his life and his book went on to sell 1.7 million copies,

February 2013: Will Young wins 'Best New comer' at the WhatsOnStage Award

Will Young won 'Best Newcomer of the Year' at the 2013 WhatsOnStage Awards for his role in Cabaret.

May 2015: Will Young's first album with Island Records

85% Proof was the sixth studio album by Will Young and his first released by Island Records on 25 May 2015. It was his first since signing with Island Records in 2012.

August 2016: Will Young headlines Manchester Pride

Will Young headlined at Manchester Pride in June 2016. The singer and actor made his only LGBT festival appearance of the year at the event.

September 2016: Strictly Come Dancing contestant

Will Young took part in the 2016 series of Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with Karen Clifton. After three weeks of dancing, the singer and actor withdrew from the competition: "To be a part of Strictly has been a long-time ambition of mine. As a performer, a viewer, and a fan of the show, to dance as a contestant was an experience I always hoped for.


"I have made some great friends, and am in awe of their performances week in, week out. I have found a creative partnership with Karen that has been the most wonderful thing to experience. Unfortunately, I am leaving the show for personal reasons. I leave with joy in my heart that I have been able to take part in one of the most loved shows on British television."

March 2018: Starring role in Strictly Ballroom on the West End

Will Young played the brand new role of band leader, Wally Strand in the West End show based on the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom (which inspired Strictly Come Dancing).

December 2021: Live from Magic Radio's Magic of Christmas

Will Young took to the stage at Magic of Christmas 2021. The show was hosted by Magic Breakfast presenters Ronan Keating and Harriet Scott. There were performances from Ronan Keating, Rag'N'Bone Man, Emeli Sandé, Will Young, Jamie Cullum, Mica Paris and James Arthur.

January 2022: Masked Singer contestant

Will was unmasked as Lionfish in series 3, episode 3 of the UK's version of The Masked Singer.

February 2022: New album and tour

Will announced an album, '20 Years - The Greatest Hits' and that he'd be embarking on a 22 date tour across the UK in October and November. He wrote on Instagram: 'Time flies when you're having fun… this week marks the 20th anniversary since I won Pop Idol!!! Due to popular demand, I'm adding a couple of extra shows to the #20Years tour, including a second date at the London Palladium on Sat 12th November.


'I'm also now kicking off the tour with a new show at the Villa Marina on the Isle Of Man on Monday 10th October.. Both of the new shows go on sale at 9am this Wednesday 9th February - exactly 20 years to the day of my Pop Idol win!!'

May 2022: Will Young: Losing my Twin Rupert

Will Young took part in a documentary about losing his twin brother in 2020 at the age of 41. The programme called Will Young: Losing my Twin Rupert was shown on Channel 4 on 10th May at 10pm.

November 2022: Will Young announces 'A Song From Faraway'

In November 2022, Will Young announced 'A Song From Faraway'. The one-man play featured Will for a limited run in Manchester in February and March 2023.
It has been described as 'This emotional play by Simon Stephens & Mark Eitzel is an unforgettable story and a personal letter to those left behind.'

June 2023: Will performs at Glastonbury

Will performed at Glastonbury Festival in June 2023, taking to the Avalon Stage. On performing at the world-renowned festival, Will said: 'It will be my 4th time performing and 12th time attending the most historic wonderful festival. From seeing Bowie when I was a student, to watching Suzanne Vega, Beyoncé to Empire of the Sun, there have been so many highlights! Hope you can come and join me to celebrate 20 years and sing along to all the hits! Xx'. (sic)

April 2024: New single and upcoming tour

On 18th April 2024, Will released a brand new single titled 'Falling Deep', after weeks of teasing that something exciting was on the way. The track was released with a colourful music video, which premiered at 12pm on 18th. The single comes from Will's ninth studio album 'Light It Up', set for release on 9th August.

Not only that, but Will announced upcoming tour dates, with the singer gushing: 'I'm so excited to finally announce my new single Falling Deep is out today, taken from my upcoming album Light It Up, which comes out on the 9th August! I'm also going on tour this year (tickets on sale 26th April!) with each show being an intimate evening of music, stories and laughter – playing ALL across the UK, including many areas I've never had the chance to perform before'. (sic)

Watch Will Young take a trip down memory lane with Ronan Keating on Magic Radio

Will Young's live performances

Watch Will Young perform 'Leave Right Now' live from Magic Radio's Magic of Christmas 2021

Watch Will Young perform 'All Time Love' at Magic Radio's Magic of Christmas 2021

Will's acting career:

Not only is he a talented singer, but Will Young is rather savvy with his acting skills, too! He has acted on TV, stage and film. Take a brief look into Will's television/acting career below...

Mrs Henderson Presents (musical film)

Will played Bertie and also sang on the soundtrack. The film was Will's acting debut and the film also featured Dame Judi Dench.

Bedlam (drama series)

Bedlam was a supernatural drama that ran from 2011 to 2013 and centred around a haunted insane asylum-turned-apartment building. Will played Ryan McAllister who was scarred by the death of his brother and learned of his flatmate Jed's abilities.

Skins (teen drama series)

Will appeared in series four of the hit series of the E4 show Skins as T. Love, an Educational Intervention Officer. His episode aired on the 25th February 2010.

Is Will Young going to keep acting?

Speaking to Tom Price on Magic Radio, Will expressed his desire to return to the stage and screen; “I was in LA at the beginning of Covid, I went for a break, but I ended up doing quite a big audition.

“I used to tell people I was a very successful organic farmer. I remember going to LA once, I arrived late in the evening, and I was in this hotel, and there was Demi Moore, Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher.

“It was Demi Moore’s and Bruce Willis’s daughter’s birthday. She came to sit next to me, I was having a cigarette by the swimming pool, and she said, ‘what do you do?’ and because literally everyone is an actor or a singer, I thought I’m just not going to say that, so I said I am a very successful organic pig farmer. And she said where do you sell your sausages? and I said in Harrods… She was very sweet.”

Will Young: Losing my Twin Rupert

In April 2022, Will Young released details of a documentary called Will Young: Losing my Twin Rupert. Will's twin Rupert sadly died in 2020, at the age of just 41. Will said he was 'honoured and proud' to be able to tell Rupert's story.

As Will discusses in the the honest and moving film, he lived with his twin's alcoholism for 20 years. The documentary explores the pain and drama of a loved one's addiction, and is available to stream on All4.

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