Will Young facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Will Young
Young performing in 2016
Born	William Robert Young (1979-01-20) 20 January 1979 (age 46) Wokingham, Berkshire, England
Occupation	Singer songwriter actor
Years active	2001–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop electro
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	19 Jive Island Cooking Vinyl

William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979), known as Will Young, is a famous English singer, songwriter, and actor. He became well-known after winning the first ever Pop Idol TV show in 2002. This made him the very first winner of the Idol shows around the world!

After winning, his first song, "Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen", was released. It quickly became the fastest-selling debut song in the UK. Will Young also took part in World Idol, where he sang "Light My Fire".

Before becoming a pop star, Will studied politics at the University of Exeter. Later, he moved to London to study musical theatre. He put his studies on hold to join Pop Idol. After winning, his first album, From Now On (2002), went straight to number one. His next album, Friday's Child (2003), was even more successful.

Many of his albums, like Keep On (2005), Let It Go (2008), and Echoes (2011), sold millions of copies. 85% Proof (2015) became his fourth album to reach number one in the UK. He has had many top ten songs, with four reaching number one. Will Young has also done many concert tours and won several awards, including two Brit Awards. He has sold over eight million albums worldwide.

Besides music, Will Young has acted in movies, on stage, and on TV. He was nominated for a big award, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, for his role in the musical Cabaret in 2013. He has also helped many charities and written several books. In 2022, he appeared on The Masked Singer as "Lionfish". He also released a collection of his best songs called 20 Years: The Greatest Hits.

Early Life and School

Growing Up

Will Young was born on 20 January 1979 in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. He was the second child of Robin Young, who worked for an engineering company, and Annabel Young, a gardener. Will was born six weeks early and was ten minutes older than his twin brother, Rupert, who sadly passed away in 2020. He also has an older sister named Emma.

School Days

Will grew up in Hungerford, West Berkshire. He first went to Kingsbury Hill School and then to Horris Hill Preparatory School from ages eight to thirteen. His first time on stage was at age four, playing a fir tree in a school play. At Horris Hill, he was the head singer in the school choir and learned to play the piano at nine.

When he was thirteen, Will and his brother went to Wellington College, Berkshire, a boarding school. Will took part in many school plays and often gave speeches. He also became very interested in sports. He was captain of the school's basketball and athletics teams. He also played triple jump, long jump, football, and rugby.

Will left school with ten GCSEs. After not getting the A-Level results he wanted, he went to d'Overbroeck's College in Oxford to retake his exams. He also worked part-time as a waiter. He became interested in environmental issues and joined a group called the Eco Society. He passed his A-Levels the second time with good grades.

In 1998, Will started studying politics at the University of Exeter. He also took women's studies and sees himself as a feminist. He continued his interest in performing arts by joining a theatre group called Footlights. He got the main role in their play Oklahoma!. He also did work experience at Sony Records to learn about the music business. He graduated in 2001. After university, Will wanted to be a professional singer. In September 2001, he started studying at the Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, London.

Music Career

Early Auditions

In 1999, during his second year at university, Will saw a TV show looking for members for a new boy band. He sent in an audition tape and was chosen as one of 75 people to audition in London. He performed "I'll Be There" by the Jackson 5. Will was chosen for the boy band, but it didn't become successful and soon broke up.

Winning Pop Idol (2001–2002)

Simon Cowell, a judge on Pop Idol, was very critical of Will Young's first audition.

In 2001, Will saw an advertisement for Pop Idol, a new TV show looking for a solo pop artist. The winner would get a big recording contract. He applied and was accepted for an audition. He sang "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" by Aretha Franklin and then "Blame It on the Boogie" by the Jacksons. He sang in front of judges like Simon Cowell. The judges thought his performance was just okay.

Will's audition was shown on TV in October 2001. The next part of the competition involved five heats, where the public voted for their favorites. Will performed "Light My Fire" by the Doors. Judges liked it, but Simon Cowell said it was "distinctly average." Will bravely told Cowell that he was wrong. This moment made many viewers like Will even more. He was voted through to the next round with the most votes.

Will continued to do well in the competition, singing jazz and soul versions of songs. He often received the most votes. In the semi-final, he competed against Gareth Gates and Darius Danesh. Will received the most votes again, and Gareth Gates also made it to the final.

Before the Grand Final, Will and Gareth toured the UK to get votes. Many celebrities supported Will. On 9 February 2002, 13.34 million people watched the final. Will and Gareth both sang "Anything Is Possible" and "Evergreen". Will also sang "Light My Fire" again. A record 8.7 million votes were cast. Will Young was announced the winner, receiving 4.6 million votes, about 500,000 more than Gareth Gates. Will was very surprised and happy to win. He later said Pop Idol was "the best ever experience for me, ever."

Pop Idol Performances and Results

First Albums and Success (2002–2010)

Will Young's first song, "Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen", sold over 400,000 copies on its first day in March 2002. It became the fastest-selling debut song in UK history. It sold over 1.7 million copies in total. This song was also named the biggest selling single of the 2000s decade in the UK.

In October 2002, Will released his first album, From Now On. It included "Evergreen" and "Anything Is Possible". He won his first BRIT Award in February 2003 for Best Breakthrough Artist. He also sang "Try Again" for the Disney movie 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure.

His second album, Friday's Child, came out in December 2003. It featured hit songs like "Leave Right Now" and "Your Game". "Your Game" won him his second BRIT Award in 2005. In November 2005, he released his third album, Keep On, which included the popular song "All Time Love".

Young at Guilfest in 2009

Will performed at the Prince's Trust 30th Birthday in 2006. He also toured the UK with his Keep On Live tour. In 2007, he sang at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium. He also headlined Proms in the Park in Hyde Park.

On 29 September 2008, Will's fourth album, Let It Go, was released and reached number two on the charts. It included the song "Changes". He performed at Glastonbury and other festivals in 2008.

Young performing at Guilfest in 2009

Will's greatest hits collection came out in November 2009. It included new songs and was certified Platinum. In 2010, he worked with Groove Armada on their album Black Light. His song "Leave Right Now" was used on American Idol as the "departing song."

Recent Music and Milestones (2011–Present)

In 2011, Will released his album Echoes, which went to number one. The first song from the album was "Jealousy". He went on a UK tour called the Echoes Tour. In 2012, he left his old record company and signed with Island Records.

His sixth album, 85% Proof, was released in May 2015. The song "What the World Needs Now" from this album was released to help WWF raise awareness for wildlife.

Will's album Lexicon was released in June 2019, along with the song "All the Songs". In 2021, he released his eighth album, Crying on the Bathroom Floor. This album featured songs by female artists that Will admired.

In 2022, Will celebrated 20 years since winning Pop Idol by releasing 20 Years: The Greatest Hits. He also toured to support the album. In 2023, he performed at the Glastonbury Festival again. His latest album, Light It Up, was released in August 2024 and reached number 5 on the UK Albums Chart.

Other Activities

Acting Roles

Will Young started acting in the BBC film Mrs Henderson Presents in 2005. He played a character named Bertie. The film received good reviews, and so did Will's acting and singing. He also had a small role in the film Coriolanus.

He performed on stage in the play The Vortex in 2007, playing the main role of Nicky Lancaster. Critics praised his performance. He also appeared in the musical Cabaret in London, which was his first time performing in West End. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for this role.

Will has also appeared in TV shows like Marple (2010), Skins (2010), and Bedlam (2011). In 2008, he was a guest on Top Gear. He also hosted Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2011.

In 2004, Will presented a documentary called Runaways for Children in Need. It highlighted problems faced by young people who run away from home. In 2007, he filmed an episode of Saving Planet Earth about saving gorillas in West Africa.

In 2009, ITV1 showed a documentary about Will called The South Bank Show. In 2011, ITV had another program about him called A Night with Will Young. He also narrated an audio version of Roald Dahl's book Danny, the Champion of the World in 2007.

In 2023, Will returned to theatre in the one-man show Song From Far Away in Manchester.

Charity Work and Other Interests

Will Young has spoken at the Oxford Union and appeared on the TV show Question Time.

He supports several charities. He is proud to support Women's Aid, which helps people affected by domestic violence. He also supports Mencap, a charity for people with learning disabilities. Will helps The Children's Society and Positive Action Southwest (PASW).

Since 2002, Will has been an ambassador for the Prince's Trust, which helps young people. He has also appeared in advertisements for Oxfam. Will is an ambassador for Mood Foundation, a charity that helps people with depression. He also supports Catch22, a charity that helps young people in difficult situations. He ran the London Marathon for Catch22 in 2011 and 2012.

In 2012, Will released his autobiography called Funny Peculiar. In 2014, he became a spokesperson for gAID, a charity that focuses on domestic violence in homosexual relationships.

In 2016, Will took part in Strictly Come Dancing. He later left the show for personal reasons. He is a strong supporter of wildlife charities, including WWF. He released a song to raise money and awareness for declining wildlife populations.

In 2020, Will released a book called To Be a Gay Man. In November 2021, he joined a protest at Camp Beagle. Following the death of his twin brother, Rupert, Will presented a Channel 4 documentary called Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert in 2022.

Personal Life

In March 2002, after winning Pop Idol, Will Young publicly shared that he is gay. He said he had never hidden it and was comfortable with his sexual orientation.

Will's main home is in Dalston, East London. He also owns a 17th-century cottage in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, where he enjoys gardening.

Will has expressed a desire to start a family by fostering children. He believes he would be good at supporting young people emotionally.

On 30 July 2020, Will's twin brother, Rupert, passed away at age 41. Will has spoken openly about their relationship and Rupert's mental health struggles. In 2020, Will adopted two dogs, Domino and Diamond, from America.

In 2021, Will spoke about his experiences at his prep school, Horris Hill Preparatory School. He mentioned seeing difficult things happen there.

Albums

• From Now On (2002)
• Friday's Child (2003)
• Keep On (2005)
• Let It Go (2008)
• Echoes (2011)
• 85% Proof (2015)
• Lexicon (2019)
• Crying on the Bathroom Floor (2021)
• Light It Up (2024)

Tours

• 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)

Film and TV Appearances

Awards and Nominations

Will Young has won many awards for his music and performances. Here are some of them:

• Brit Awards: He has won two Brit Awards. One was for Best Breakthrough Artist in 2003. The other was for British Single of the Year in 2005 for "Your Game".
• Ivor Novello Awards: He won an Ivor Novello Award for "Anything Is Possible" as the Bestselling Song of 2002. He also won for "Leave Right Now" as Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2004.
• Popjustice £20 Music Prize: He won this award in 2012 for his song "Jealousy" as Best British Pop Single.
• UK Music Video Awards: He won Best Pop Video for "Changes" in 2009. He also won Best Choreography in a Video for "Losing Myself" in 2012.
• BT Digital Music Awards: He won Artist of the Year in both 2003 and 2004.
• Silver Clef Awards: He won Artist of the Year in 2004.
• Top of the Pops Awards: He won Best Newcomer and Best Single for "Evergreen" in 2002. He also won Best Fan Site in 2003.
• Laurence Olivier Awards: He was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical in 2013 for his role in Cabaret.

Images for kids

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  Will Young performing in 2016

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  Simon Cowell, a judge on Pop Idol

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  Will Young at Guilfest in 2009

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  Young performing at Guilfest in 2009

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• List of British actors