Pete Waterman believes Will Young was always a "complicated human being".
The 71-year-old producer was one of the judges along with Simon Cowell, Neil Fox and Nicki Chapman on the first ever series of talent show ‘Pop Idol’ which saw Will, 39, crowned the winner by the British public and awarded a £1 million record contract.
The following years saw Will enjoy a successful music career, releasing six albums and topping the charts, however, he has moved away from the music business since the release of his sixth LP ‘85% Proof’ in 2015, instead focusing on raising awareness of mental health issues on his Homo Sapiens podcast – which he co-hosts with his film director friend Chris Sweeney.
Will has had his own mental health issues to overcome, and they were brought to the public’s consciousness when needed to quit ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2016 due the re-emergence of his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Pete thinks it’s a shame that his former protégé is no longer making music and has a lot of sympathy for him and his mental health struggles, however, the Svengali believes it was Will’s out of step personality that made him an intriguing musician.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, the songwriter – who was one part of hitmaker trio Stock, Aitken and Waterman – said: "When you look back at Will Young, was he ever not a complicated human being? He was. He’s extraordinarily talented and you never know where he’s going to go next and that’s why he won ‘Pop Idol’. People just looked at him and thought you can’t call where this guy is going and that’s why he’s so interesting. I haven’t heard his podcast but I’ll check it out."
Will has been open about spending £500,000 on therapy, which has included having sessions with a shaman, and is looking to train as a psychotherapist and it is a regular topic of conversation on his podcast.
Pete is heading out on tour with his ‘An Evening with Pete Waterman’ one-man tour. Tickets are available now.
Pete Waterman says Will Young was always ‘complicated’
