Will Young has claimed that Pop Idol bosses told him to keep his sexuality a secret.
The singer, 45, came out publicly in 2002 fresh from winning the show amid reports a newspaper was planning to out him as gay.
In an interview at the time, Will – who was 23 – explained: ‘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.
‘I’m sure this will not come as a surprise to many people, although I’ve always been discreet and I’m not a campaigner when it comes to my sexuality.’
However, Will claims that show bosses had encouraged him not to declare his homosexuality – prompting him to tell them to ‘f**k off’.
Will Young claims Pop Idol bosses told him to hide his sexuality on the show but he refused to be ‘kicked back in the closet’ (pictured in 2022)
The singer recalled how producers told him to keep his sexuality under wraps which he felt was like being forced back into the closet (pictured during the Pop Idol final 2002)
Speaking to Rylan on his new BBC Sounds podcast How To Be In The Spotlight, Will said: ‘I was told not to say anything. I just told them I wasn’t going to do that.
‘Basically told them to “f**k off”. I said, “I didn’t come out and go through all those years being terrified of it to be kicked back in the f*****g closet!” I always thought it was just unnecessary stress.’
The star also revealed that attempts to cover up his sexuality continued later on into his career, telling Rylan that a record company executive ordered him to re-record his signature hit ‘because he “sounded too gay”.’
He said: ‘I had a record company executive who said I sounded too gay on Leave Right Now so I needed to re-record it.
‘I was working with Annie Lennox’s producer, and we just sent him the same vocal back again and he just went, “yeah, love it!”.’
‘In 2009, I did a beautiful black and white video, and there’s one point I’m dancing with a male mannequin and the record company wanted to cut that out of the video. Too gay!’
The Jealousy singer also spoke about the homophobic threats he had experienced after coming out.
He described being chased and fearing for his life while walking out with his boyfriend.
The star also revealed that attempts to cover up his sexuality continued later on into his career (pictured with Gareth Gates on Pop Idol 2002)
He said: ‘I did feel quite exposed and you just have to remember again at that time gay bashing was a big f*****g thing.
‘Sadly, it still is. And I was right to be a bit scared because I used to have people running after me, threatening to stab me and my boyfriend. It was awful. But I was not going to live a lie.’
MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.
Elsewhere in the interview, Will discussed his time on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The hitmaker famously quit the BBC show back in 2016, and has claimed that he was warned the channel would ‘never work with him again’ if he chose to pull out of the programme.
At the time Will cited ‘personal reasons’ and ‘anxiety’ as the reason for his and his partner
Karen Hauer’s departure from the show after week three, and he went on to reveal that he entered therapy after considering suicide in the wake of his exit.
Will revealed: ‘I tried to pull out of it, but I was sort of pressured to do it. It was sort of like “Well, if you pull out, the BBC will never work with you again”.’
‘That was one of the things that was said to me, so I did it, but I knew I wasn’t well enough.’
Elsewhere in the interview, Will discussed his time on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and the real reason why he quit the show in 2016 (pictured with Karen Hauer)
Despite some of his more negative experiences the star was positive about his fame and told Rylan that he couldn’t understand why some celebrities moaned about being in the spotlight.
He said: ‘It’s quite fun sometimes in the spotlight. Everyone moans about it – stop moaning!
‘I did have a moment when I was like, “this is amazing”.
It was when I did this film and I went out to LA to do the American premiere. I had just done a video in Cuba, my third album was coming out… I was on the red carpet and I was staying in the Four Seasons.
‘And I was like, “This is crazy”. Film with Judi Dench, Stephen Frears’ film, I’m doing the music for it, and I’m in it. It was insane.
‘This is literally because I entered a talent show.’
The singer-songwriter recently announced his first new music in more than two years.
His 80s-inspired track, Falling Deep is part of his latest album, Light It Up which marks his first studio album release since 2021.
The new album will also be accompanied by a 50-date tour across the UK and speaking about his upcoming project the singer said he was in a place he didn’t think he would ever get to again.
He said: ‘I’m back in a place that I didn’t even think I would get to. I didn’t think I’d be back doing as good a pop music as I’m doing now and enjoying it.’
The singer-songwriter recently announced his first new music in more than two years . His 80s-inspired track, Falling Deep is part of his latest album, Light It Up
