Will Young's career: Pop Idol, albums, new music and tour history
He's had a sensational journey over the last two decades and beyond
Will Young has had an amazing 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 achievements since his Pop Idol days.
Along with singing, Will has also appeared in several TV shows, both acting and as himself. In 2025, he made his pantomime debut as The Spirit of the Beans in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Bristol Hippodrome.
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 was born on 20th January 1979, making him 46-years-old.
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?
When he was just 22-years-old, Will shot to fame on the first series of Pop Idol in 2001 as a contestant. He performed in front of judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox and 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. He was chosen for the band, but they failed to find any success and went their separate ways.
What songs did he sing on Pop Idol?
Will's first Pop Idol 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', originally by American rock band the Doors, 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 'Ain't No Sunshine' during the Music from the Movies week.
He also sang 'The Name of the Game' by ABBA, 'We Are In Love' by Harry Connick, Jr. 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' by Bobby Darin and 'I Get the Sweetest Feeling' by Jackie Wilson, before he sang his version of the winner's singles 'Anything is Possible' and 'Evergreen', as well as fan favourite 'Light My Fire'.
Will's new music
Will's most recent album 'Light It Up' was released in August 2024. The singer's ninth album features 10 songs, with several tracks co-written by the singer, along with Jim Eliot and Daniel Davidsen (who have both written for Kylie Minogue and Olly Murs).
'Falling Deep' was the lead single from the album to be released, on 18th April 2024, it was Will's first single in two years, following his 2022 track 'Why Does It Hurt'. He followed that release with songs 'Midnight' and the title track 'Light It Up'.
In 2025, Will has continued to release music videos for songs featured on his ninth album.
Will's greatest hits albums
Will released his first greatest hits album in 2009, titled 'The Hits', which included songs such as 'Evergreen', 'Light My Fire' and 'You and I'. Then, four years later, in 2013, he released 'The Essential'. This compilation album was this final album with RCA Records and Sony Music, and featured 'Jealousy', 'Evergreen' and 'Your Game'.
Fast forward nine years to 2022, and Will released another compilation album in order to celebrate 20 years since his legendary Pop Idol win. The release was titled '20 Years: The Greatest Hits' and was released on 27th May 2022.
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 does not have any upcoming tour dates in 2025/2026. He headed out on tour between September and December 2024, but due to illness, postponed some dates until 2025.
In October 2024, he said in a post on Instagram: 'Following an appointment with my doctor today, I’ve been told that I need to rest because of a throat infection and won’t be able to sing for the rest of the week.'
His tour history
Will has been on several tours over the years: '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), 'Light It Up Live' (2024).
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 acting career below...
Mrs Henderson Presents (musical film) - 2005
In his acting debut, Will played Bertie, a stage hand who becomes one of the key performers at the Windmill Theatre in London. The film also featured Dame Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, with Will also singing on the soundtrack.
Skins (teen drama series) - 2010
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.
Bedlam (drama series) - 2011-2012
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 troubled by the death of his brother and learned of his flatmate Jed's abilities (seeing visions).
Will Young: Losing my Twin Rupert - 2022
In April 2022, Will 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 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.
Take a look back at Will Young's incredible career so far:
Summer 2001: Will Young auditioned 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 went head-to-head
Pop Idol's first live show was broadcast on the 15th December 2001 with 10 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 won Pop Idol
Will Young won the competition with 53.1% of the public vote with over 14 million viewers tuning in. He 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's debut single 'Anything Is Possible'/'Evergreen' earned a place in the Guinness World Records becoming the fastest-selling debut single in the UK. The single sold over 1.1 million copies in its first chart week between 25th February and 2nd March 2002. In total it sold an unprecedented 2 million UK singles in 15 weeks. The song was certified 3x Platinum after just one week.
June 2002: Will Young performed with Queen
Will Young stepped in to sing with Queen at the Golden Jubilee pop concert of Queen Elizabeth II, which was held in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on the 3rd June 2002. Speaking on Magic Radio, Will said: "I wasn't meant to be singing 'We Are The Champions' but Phil Collins didn't want to do it, because he was too busy drumming, which is fair enough, because he is a drummer... I was really bad in the dress rehearsal and I actually swore on stage and it went out all the way down The Mall!"
September 2002: Will Young performed 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. She is now known for her hits 'Stronger', 'Catch My Breath' and 'Because of You'.
October 2002: Debut album released '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'. The album was certified 2x Platinum after a month, meaning it sold 600K units.
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 on 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 won 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 performed 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 joined Cabaret
Bill Kenwright presented the multi-award winning production of Cabaret which starred Will Young. The announcement was made in May 2012 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."
A year later, Will won Best Newcomer of the Year at the WhatsOnStage Awards for his role in Cabaret.
October 2012: Will Young released 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.
In a Q&A session he revealed why he decided to write the book: "I started writing a book with my brother, then I started writing a comedy, comedy-drama and then got to my autobiography."
May 2015: Will released his sixth album '85% Proof'
Will signed with Island Records in 2012, and '85% Proof' was the sixth studio album by Will Young, and his first released by Island Records. Released on 25th May 2015, the album was certified Gold on 13th December 2024.
The album featured songs such as 'Love Revolution', 'Thank You' and 'Joy', the album was produced by Jim Eliot and Richard Stannard (who have both worked with Ellie Goulding and Kylie Minogue).
August - September 2016: Manchester Pride and Strictly Come Dancing
Will Young headlined at Manchester Pride in August 2016. The singer and actor made his only LGBT festival appearance of the year at the event.
He also 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, he said: "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: Will joined Strictly Ballroom on the West End
Will Young played the role of band leader, Wally Strand in the West End show based on the 1992 film Strictly Ballroom (which inspired Strictly Come Dancing). The Baz Luhrmann musical made its debut at the Piccadilly Theatre, London in 2018.
December 2021: 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.
Watch his performance on YouTube.
January 2022: Masked Singer contestant
Will was unmasked as Lionfish in series 3, episode 3 of the UK's version of The Masked Singer, he was the third person to be eliminated from the show, following Heather Small and Gloria Hunniford. He performed 'I Will Always Love You' by Dolly Parton during his last episode.
February 2022: '20 Years - The Greatest Hits' album
In 2022 Will announced an album, '20 Years - The Greatest Hits', revealing he'd be embarking on a 22-date tour across the UK in October and November of that year. 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 saw Will discuss in the honest and moving film, how he lived with his twin's alcoholism for 20 years.
June 2023: Will performed at Glastonbury
Will performed at Glastonbury Festival in June 2023, taking to the Avalon Stage. On performing at the world-renowned festival, Will wrote on Instagram: 'It will be my fourth 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'.
August 2024: Will released his album 'Light It Up'
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 featured on Will's ninth studio album 'Light It Up', which was released in August 2024.
In 2024, Will also went on tour, however sadly some of this tour dates has to be postponed until early 2025 due to doctor's advice.
August 2025: Will Young performed at Brighton Pride
Following some tour dates in early 2025, Will performed at Brighton Pride. The singer performed songs 'Love Revolution', 'Joy', 'Leave Right Now' and 'All Time Love'. Also in 2025, Will continued to release music videos for songs from his latest album 'Light It Up'.
Away from music, Will joined panto for the first time, performing as The Spirit of the Beans in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Bristol Hippodrome.
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