Darkness Frontman Blasts ‘Pop Idol’ Singers

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins tells The Sunday Mirror he’s delighted that the Pop Idol 12, who were the odds on choice to top the Christmas singles chart battle with their cover of the John Lennon classic ‘Merry Christmas (War Is Over)’, now doesn’t stand a chance. “The Pop Idol lot are the most talentless and characterless people in the country. The novelty is clearly starting to wear off,” Justin said. “With Pop Idol you have all these little sh**s in the chart, but the public doesn’t like being told what to listen to. This might sound harsh, but fu** Will Young and Gareth Gates. Where are the Kate Bush and Princes of today? Record companies won’t touch them because they are scared of people like that.”

The full story at sundaymirror.co.uk has since been removed.

Will Young Mistaken For Chauffeur

December 20, 2003 - The Mirror reports Heart 106.2 DJ Harriet Scott was spotted by a source flagging down a silver Mercedes at the West London building, believing there was a chauffeur inside coming to pick her up. Instead, behind the blacked out windows, was Will Young. “It was hilarious,” the insider said. “Harriet thought it was her car and once she explained to Will why she did it he was hysterical.”

The Spirit Of Good Will

December 13, 2003 - Dominic Mohan of The Sun writes, “Will Young is seen as a manufactured pop puppet, his strings seemingly controlled by perma-tanned Svengali Simon Fuller, a man more orange than Belfast in marching season. But this week, nigh on two years after his Pop Idol victory, the Young man is nestling at the top of the album and singles charts and, er, wait for it, this isn’t easy for me you know, but I, um, think I owe him, yes, I owe him an apology. A fierce critic of processed musical spam I may be, but in Will I can now recognize a true talent.”

The entire story at thesun.co.uk has since been removed.

Gorgeous Girls Leave Gareth Gates Terrified

December 7, 2003 - The Sunday Mirror reports that after recently losing his virginity to Jordan, ‘Pop Idol’ runner-up Gareth Gates went all coy at a UB40 gig at Wembley. A spy revealed, “Four gorgeous girls were telling him to get up and dance. He begged his record person to get him a seat elsewhere. He looked terrified.”

Will Young Talks About ‘Friday’s Child’

December 6, 2003 - Will caught up with Capital FM to talk about shedding his pop image to be more soulful on his new album ‘Friday’s Child’. Asked about the title, the Pop Idol champ responded, “I was trying to think of titles and originally I wanted to do like a separate title. Because I went with one producer, Steve Lipson, and I wanted it to be a real unified body of work. So I picked a song from the album and ‘Friday’s Child’ I think does embody the album because it’s nine minutes long - which is a long song - it’s a soul track, it’s got a lot of space in it and it’s about letting the music breathe and I think that’s what the whole album is about.” Audio at capitalfm.com has since been removed.

December 21, 2003 Jeff C Gossip 2 Comments

Will Young Likes His Butt

The Glasgow Daily Record reports Pop Idol champ Will Young says he wants strangers to compliment him on his bottom. “I like my bum,” he said. “I want more comments about it from people if you see me on the street, feel free to say something nice about it.”

Will Young Tops Singles Charts Despite Distribution Problems

December 1, 2003 - Will topped the UK singles charts this week with ‘Leave Right Now’, despite a marketing bungle that left only a few copies in the shops before supplies were replenished on Friday. “Thank you to all my fans for getting me to No1. I love you all,” Young said. “It was a bit touch and go there for a moment but let’s just say I am a very happy man now. My fans are the best in the world and very supportive. It’s great they have stuck by me even though we had some problems keeping up with demand for the single last week.” Will beat out Shane Richie’s ‘I’m Your Man’. Read more.

Will Young Describes His Padded Pant Purchase

November 30, 2003 - Channel4.com had a video clip, since removed, of Will talking about his lucky pants getting stolen and his Calvin Klein padded groin pant purchase, which he ended up returning.

December 3, 2003 Jeff C News No Comments

Will Young Hits It Off With Kylie Minogue’s Male Dancer

Will Young has been getting close to one of Kylie Minogue’s male dancers, The People reports. The 24-year-old Pop Idol winner spotted twinkle-toed Aaron Silas at an Emma Bunton concert a month ago, and asked one of Kylie’s stylists for his number after bumping into him in the VIP room after the performance at London’s G.A.Y. club. “Will called him and as a result they have met a few times since,” a source revealed. “They seem to be getting on really well together. Will has been really excited about his new friendship and it’s really great to see him so happy.”

Will Young Gives Up Smoking

November 28, 2003 - Will has broken his smoking habit with the help of hypnotherapy sessions. “I started smoking when I was 19 and there were times last year when I was smoking a lot. I tried giving up but couldn’t,” he tells The Sun’s Victoria Newton. “In the end I went to a hypnotherapist. She was talking to me and said, ‘You are in a hypnotic state.’ I said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ but she said, ‘Yes, you really are.’ She obviously lodged the thought in my mind that if I was a serious singer I’d never smoke. It worked. I don’t smoke any more.” Read more, including Newton’s favorable review of Young’s new album ‘Friday’s Child’, here.

November 30, 2003 Jeff C Gossip No Comments

Will Young: I Don’t Need Padded Underwear

The Sun reports ‘Pop Idol’ champ Will Young bought some padded Calvin Klein underwear “by mistake” but returned them to the shop, saying: “I don’t need these - I’m very well endowed, thanks.”

Will Young Visits Capital FM

November 21, 2003 - When Will appeared on Schooly’s show on Capital FM, talk focused on the writing of his new album ‘Friday’s Child’ and their shared love of soul music. Then Schooly set him the 60 second challenge - to sing one of his own songs over the beat of a recent hit. Will succeeded brilliantly with a blues version of his single ‘Leave Right Now’ over the beat of Lumidee’s ‘Never Leave - Uh Ooh’. The audio has since been removed from capitalfm.com.

Will Young Chats With Radio 2

November 19, 2003 - Will recently was in studio with BBC Radio 2’s Steve Wright to talk about his new album ‘Friday’s Child’, set for a December 1st release in the UK. Young hopes to surprise people with the new effort, which he had much more input on. Young says he’s not trying to compete with anyone. The singer recently went backpacking across the world while on break, including Morocco. Listen to the 6-minute interview here.

November 22, 2003 Jeff C Gossip 1 Comment

Will Young, Westlife Attend Mariah Carey Concert

Contributed by SJ:

The Mirror reports Pop Idol champ Will Young and Westlife members Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne were on hand to see Mariah Carey’s ‘Charmbracelet World Tour’ concert at the sold-out Wembley Arena in London on Thursday (October 30).

Will Young ‘Leave Right Now’ Video

November 4, 2003 - Will is out with the video for his new single ‘Leave Right Now’, the first release from his forthcoming album ‘Friday’s Child’. Watch it online via YouTube below.

November 4, 2003 Jeff C News 11 Comments

Gay Phixx Singer Blew Chance To Date Will Young

The Mirror reports Phixx star Andrew Kinlochan, who just revealed he gay, blew a chance to date fellow gay pop star Will Young. Pop Idol winner Will gave Andrew his mobile number and asked him to call when they met on the show, but Andrew was too shy to call the singer. “Andrew really wanted to call Will but he was far too nervous,” an insider said. “Then after Will had won the contest Andrew felt that if he called, Will would think it was only because he’d won the show. Because of that he missed out.”

October 9, 2003 Jeff C Gossip No Comments

Christina Aguilera Eyes Will Young, Not Knowing He’s Gay

Britain’s Daily Star Sunday reports Christina Aguilera has been contacting Pop Idol champ Will Young, eyeing a relationship perhaps with the gay singer. “She really liked the look of Will and thinks he’s got a great voice too,” an insider said after the two met during an appearance on Top of the Pops. “She just wanted to say hi and register her interest. She said they got on really well and swapped numbers and that Will seemed like a really nice, genuine kind of guy. She wants him to come and stay at her place in LA and Will told her he’d like to.”

Young is worried though that he might be a heartbreaker if he were to reveal her sexual preference to Aguilera. “I guess I’m going to have to be straight with Christina,” Young reportedly told a pal. “She keeps texting me and inviting me over and I do want to go. But as much as she’s a good-looking girl I think I’ll just have to drop it into conversation next time we speak. I hope she isn’t too let down.”

‘Pop Idol’ Winner Hasn’t Tuned In For New Season Much

September 4, 2003 - The Sun caught up with Will Young at the GQ Man of the Year Awards in London on Tuesday night where he admitted he hadn’t been watching the show’s second season much. “Well, I’ve only seen one show,” Young admitted. “The contestants seem a bit bizarre but some are good singers. It was just hysterical, very funny.”

Download Will Young’s Exeter Festival Performance

July 23, 2003 - For £3, Will fans can download exclusive live tracks performed at this year’s Exeter Festival from his official website. Tracks include Young’s version of the Police’s ‘Roxanne’, his cover of the Doors’ ‘Light My Fire’, ‘Ticket to Love’, ‘Cruel to be Kind’, and ‘Over You’. Proceeds will be donated to Will’s chosen charity Positive Action SouthWest. Check it out at www.willyoung.co.uk.

Westlife And Will Young Perform At Queensday 2003

May 1, 2003 - Westlife and Will were on hand for Queensday 2003 - MTV & Radio 538 Live In Concert on Wednesday (April 30) at Museum Square in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Prince William Wants Pop Favorites At His 21st Bash

April 20, 2003 - The Sunday Mirror reports Prince William has put together a wish list of artists he wants to appear at his party in June, which includes Shania Twain, Coldplay, Pink, Ozzy Osbourne, former Spice Girl Emma Bunton, Britney Spears, Atomic Kitten, Mis-Teeq, and Will Young. “Prince William is very happy with the Windsor Castle event, but he also wants a party that won’t be as formal where he can let his hair down with his friends,” an insider revealed. “He feels that a party with big bands performing will be much more enjoyable for his group of young friends.”

The full story at sundaymirror.co.uk has since been removed.

September 28, 2003 Jeff C Gossip 10 Comments

Will Young Had To Pee Bad At Brits, Used Ladies Room

The Sunday People reports Pop Idol winner Will Young was so desperate to hit the bathroom during the Brit Awards on Thursday night that he barged through a line for the Ladies room, then emerged to apologize to the waiting women for having wet hands as there were no paper towels left.

Fame Makes Gareth’s Stammer Worsen

February 23, 2003 - The Sunday People reports Gareth is falling deeper into despair as his stuttering problem has gotten worse. The Pop Idol runner-up took five minutes to answer a simple question in a TV interview and is terrified of being asked anything in public. “Nobody should underestimate how serious this is,” a pal confided. “Gareth is in an awful state and it is eating him up. At times he is struck dumb. As Britain’s brightest young star with the world at his feet he should be enjoying every moment of his life. Instead he is enduring a living hell because of his terrible stutter.”

Gareth & Will Lead Brit Award Pop Nominations

January 13, 2003 - Ms Dynamite and The Streets (aka Mike Skinner) led the pack in picking up four nominations each for this year’s Brit Awards. Pop acts getting nominations included Pop Idol stars Gareth Gates and Will Young, who each got three nominations, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Atomic Kitten, Daniel Bedingfield, Liberty X, Blue, Enrique Iglesias, and Shakira. Check out all the nominees for the February 20th awards to be held at Earls Court in London here.

Aguilera & Young Win In Reader’s Poll

December 27, 2002 - The big winners in The Sun’s 2002 Bizarre Readers’ Poll are in, and amongst the pop winners are Christina Aguilera, who was the unanimous winner of Dom’s Dog’s Dinner Of The Year for her long list of dreadful outfits. Other winners included Will Young who won Best Male Singer and Best Single.

Despite Competition, Will & Gareth Are Great Mates

December 26, 2002 - Despite their competition during Pop Idol, the show’s runner-up Gareth Gates is a big fan of the winner Will Young. Asked who his pop idol is, Gareth said, “Will Young, of course. It’s the way he does his own thing and the fact that he has such a unique voice – he’s an inspiration.” Asked if he really was a fan of Will, Gareth insisted he is. “Will and I are great mates. We went out to a party together last night actually. I’m very proud of him, he has really shone this last year, and his music is fantastic.”

Girls Beat The Boys But Reality Pop Starts To Fizzle

December 23, 2002 - While the girls beat the boys in first week sales on Popstars: The Rivals, the total sales were a big drop off and many wonder if the reality pop star genre has gone bust in the UK. Girls Aloud sold 213,000 copies of ‘Sound Of The Underground’ since last Monday, while One True Voice’s single Sacred Trust shifted just 147,000. Hear’Say sold 550,000 copies of Pure And Simple in March 2001, while Will Young and Gareth Gates sold 1.1 million and 860,000 copies of their albums respectively.

Will Young Named Television Personality Of The Year

December 20, 2002 - Will has been named Television Personality of the Year. Will beat the likes of Ant and Dec, Graham Norton and Cat Deeley in a nationwide poll to find Britain’s best-loved TV star. Will received his award at a glittering bash at the Royal Opera House in London.

Gareth Gates Disappointed In Shutout, But Delighted For Will Young

December 2, 2002 - The Mirror reports that though Gareth walked away empty-handed at Friday’s Top Of The Pops Awards he managed a brave face. A source says, “Gareth was disappointed but was delighted Will Young won two trophies. They both support each other.” If he was upset, he washed it away performing at G.A.Y. on Saturday, donning a diamond-studded jumpsuit at London’s Astoria.

February 24, 2003 Jeff C Gossip No Comments

Justin Timberlake Takes Heavily Guarded Piss

The Sun reports *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake was flanked by an amazing eight security guards when he went for a pee during the EMI party. The goons followed their man into the men’s room and stood guard outside his cubicle door while he had a tinkle.

BMG Music Brit Awards After Party

February 21, 2003 - Former Spice Girls Mel C and Mel B, Westlife, Justin Timberlake, Will Young, Mis-Teeq, Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, Sarah Whatmore, and Sinead Quinn were on hand at the BMG Music After party at Home House Club in London on Thursday night (February 20).

February 21, 2003 Jeff C Gossip No Comments

Will Young Blames Christina Aguilera Performance For Chart Loss

The Sun reports Pop Idol winner Will Young has blamed Christina Aguilera’s raunchy performance of ‘Dirrty’ on Top Of The Pops for her beating him in the album charts. “My single went straight in at Number Two,” he moaned. “Had it not been for Ms. Aguilera wearing a couple of rubber bands and not much else on Top Of The Pops, it may even have been No1.” Young’s ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ is one of the lowest-selling Children In Need singles ever - shifting a measly 45,000 copies in the first week.

An Awesome Businessman, But Simon Cowell’s Awful To Work For

November 25, 2002 - The Sunday Mirror did a Q&A with Pop Idol Darius Danesh. Asked if he had ever said, `Do you know who I am?’ to anybody, Danesh said, “No, it sounds really arrogant. Being famous doesn’t give you the right to storm about the place. But it’s easier to be a bad person if you’re famous, because sycophants will put up with anything.” As for his thoughts on Simon Cowell, “He’s an awesome businessman, but if I worked with him I would feel soulless and miserable. I don’t understand why he’s so rude about Will Young, one of his own artists.”

Will Young Puzzled About What’s Wrong With Smoking

November 18, 2002 - The Mail reports Pop Idol winner Will was spotted puffing on a cigarette in the In And Out Club in London. Asked if - as a singer - he really ought to be smoking, a puzzled Will replied, “Are we not allowed to smoke in here? Or do you mean because of the smoke alarms?”

November 29, 2002 Jeff C News No Comments
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