Will Young | Photo: Instagram/willyoung
Will Young has revealed he was made to repeatedly re-record one of his biggest hits because a record company exec said he ‘sounded gay.’
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the Your Game singer says he was not aware at the time why he was forced to do the re-records.
‘It’s really shaming’
Speaking about his experiences of homophobia in the music industry, the British star said: ‘I didn’t know at the time, but when I was recording [his 2003 hit] Leave Right Now, someone at the record company said I “sounded gay” and kept making me re-record the track.’
He furthermore added: ‘There’s a real flavor to homophobia and bigotry. It’s really shaming. People don’t understand the power of language.’
Will won the 2002 series of UK show Pop Idol. His debut single Evergreen remains the fastest-selling single in the UK ever. He has since scored four number one albums.
‘I was really ill. I just couldn’t do it any more’
Elsewhere in the interview, Will says he has spent £500,000 ($703,000, €572,000) on therapy.
Will suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He believes comes from being separated from his twin brother Rupert at birth. (Rupert was placed in an incubator at the time). He has also cited being bullied at prep school as a reason.
Referring to why he famously quit BBC1 talent show Strictly Come dancing in 2016, Will furthermore added: ‘I was really ill. I just couldn’t do it any more. It was so bad I thought about breaking my leg to get out of [the show].’
