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Will and Kylie scoop TOTP awards,Friday 29th Nov,ananova

Will Young and Kylie Minogue are among the winners at this
year's Top Of The Pops Awards.
Will was a double winner - taking the best newcomer and
best single at the ceremony, held at the Manchester
Evening News Arena.
Oasis were given the best rock act prize, Ms Dynamite was
named top R'n'B act and best pop act went to Blue.

Coldplay landed the best album prize for their second
release A Rush Of Blood To The Head, while Kylie - who
performed at the event - took best tour for her Fever dates.

The Top Of The Pops awards, now in their second year, were
voted for entirely by the public and presented in front of
a 10,000 strong crowd.

Chart veteran Sir Elton John was honoured for his lifetime's
work by being inducted into the Top Of The Pops Hall Of Fame.


Christina keeps Will from top of the chart,Mon 25th Nov,Ananova.com

Will Young has failed to reach number one with his new single.
His double A-side Don't Let Me Down/You And I entered the chart at number two.
The song was released to raise money for the BBC's Children In Need appeal.

Last week's top song, Christina Aguilera's Dirrty, remained at number one for a second week.
It's the first time Will has failed to reach the top spot.
In the album chart, Robbie Williams' Escapology went straight in at number one, knocking Westlife's greatest hits compilation down to number two.



New single out on Monday (Offish - Fri 15th Nov02

Will's new single is released on Monday.
'Don't Let Me Down'/'You and I' is the official
Children In Need single. It will be available on
cd x 2 and cassette and features previously unreleased
tracks 'Ready Or Not' 'If That's What You Want' plus
the 'You and I' video.Don't forget to buy!


Will Young launches Children In Need telethon (Ananova)
Fri 15th Nov02

Will Young has launched Children In Need with a performance
of The Sweetest Feeling.

The BBC1 epic, hosted by Terry Wogan and Gabby Roslin, is
hoping to beat last year's record-breaking £25 million total raised
for children's charities.

TV presenters, pop singers and soap stars were among those taking
part in the show in special sketches and musical performances.

Former Neighbours actress Holly Valance performed her No 1 hit
Kiss Kiss and Coronation Street star Suranne Jones (who plays
Karen McDonald) sang her version of Blame It On The Boogie.

There were also outside broadcasts from around the country with
a variety of stars explaining what was happening to raise money
across the UK.


*PLEASE NOTE THAT FROM NOW ON ALL NEW ARTICLES WILL BE PLACED AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE!*

Article from CapitalFM.com
Pop Idol winner Will Young has launched the festive celebrations in the run-up to Christmas by switching on London's Regent
Street lights.

Fans packed the shopper's haven to watch his guest appearance.

The star entertained the crowds by singing You And I and Don't Let Me Down from his new double A-side single recorded in aid
of BBC's Children In Need.

As he pulled the switch, fake snow and coloured ticker tape fluttered into the street.

Dressed in a long brown coat and green trousers, Will, who shot to fame this year in ITV1's talent contest Pop Idol, thanked
the public for their support.

Speaking from a specially created stage at the junction of New Burlington Street and Regent Street, he said he had enjoyed
creating his new single for Children In Need, adding: "It's been brilliant and I've done lots of stuff with the show.

"It's just been wonderful I do think the show tomorrow will be fantastic."

After switching on the lights, he sang a short rendition of Walking In A Winter Wonderland. The crowd, waving lights, swayed
along to the music.

DJ Mark Goodier compered the free street party and the band United Colours of Sound supported Will.

Verity Hars, 18, and her mother Jill, from Basildon, Essex, attended the event especially to see the Pop Idol singer. "He's
just fantastic and really handsome and lovely," said Verity.






Coldplay, Ms Dynamite and Will Young each up for three TOTP awards-ananova.com

Coldplay, Ms Dynamite and Will Young lead the way in this year's Top Of The Pops Award nominations.

Ms Dynamite is up for top newcomer, top album and top R'n'B artist, while Will is nominated for top newcomer, top single and
top pop.

Coldplay are nominated for top rock, top tour and top album.

Gareth Gates is up against Will in two categories - top newcomer along with The Streets, Holly Valance, and Ms Dynamite, and
top pop, against Atomic Kitten, Blue and Sugababes.

Ronan Keating will host the ceremony at the Manchester Evening News Arena on November 29, with performances from Kylie, Ms
Dynamite, Will Young, Gareth Gates, Craig David, Blue and Moby.

It will be shown on BBC1 on Saturday November 30.
Fans can vote in all the categories by visiting www.bbc.co.uk/totp.



POP THE QUESTION
Starsign:Capricorn
Fav Animal:Cheetah
Fav Drink:Barkspears Bitter
Fav Food:Bacon Sarnies
Fav Film:Remains of the day
Fav Song:Long and Affection by Joan Armatrading
Fav TV Show:Eastenders
Fav Pop Idol Judge:Foxy-he makes me laugh
Fav International Pop Idol:Lauren Hill
Last Book you read:The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch
Last Time you cried:When Hayley left
Last time you got angry:A few weeks ago-I was angry at myself
Last time you got frightened:Leaving the studios last weekend with girls screaming at me
Last person you kissed:My dog Bentely
Who is your best mate?Adam and Camilla and of course the gang here
Biggest Phobia:Heights
Last thing you do at night:Brush my teeth
Something about you people don't know:I captained the school atheletics team


Winner Will Speaks,his first interview,Heat Mag

The look on Will's Face said it all. When Ant announced that the 23-year-old had been voted the winner of Pop Idol, his jaw dropped in amazement. He was stunned. After all, Will's rival Gareth Gates had been the the bookies' favourite since the very early stages and many believed the final result was a foregone conclusion in the 17 -year-old's favour.
But as Will launched into an emotional version of Evergreen moments later, the star quality that made him a worthy winner shone through. He now faces an amazing future business with a guaranteed Number One hit when his single is released on the 25th February.
So here it is, the first magazine interview with the winner…
How do you feel? [Grinning] I am absolutely ecstatic. I’ve always wanted to do this and throughout the competition it felt more and more right. I am so ready for it. I am just up for it massively.
What was going through your mind just before Ant announced the result? Well he said what the votes were and I thought, “I am second and I have lost by that much”. I just though, “Oh well, that’s not bad.” I promise that’s what I thought. I felt isolated- then when I heard I’d won it was like I suddenly woke up. [Laughs] It felt like I’d been hit. I could not believe it.
At what point in the competition did you actually stop and think, “I could win this”? I suppose getting to the last ten. I don’t think you would enter a competition like this unless you thought you could win it. But there’s a difference between proving you can win it and thinking you can win it.
What’s the moment in the series that you’re most proud of? It was during the heats, when I spoke my mind to Simon. That was good.
Was there any moment when you thought, “I could do better”? I cringe at my first audition [Will performed a song and dance routine to Blame It On The Boogie] but I’m still kind of proud of it. Just for walking in that room if nothing else. That was so scary.
Yet few people can actually remember you getting through the initial stages. Yeah, I was in the “maybe” room [to get into the final 50]. We had to wait three-and-a-half hours. We heard the other two rooms cheering and I was thinking, “There’s no way I’m through”. Then Simon came in and said “I’m sorry…” [big dramatic pause] “…to keep you waiting.” I just thought, “You’re evil!” And I burst into tears.
What was the moment when you most surprised yourself during the series? Again, I think it was standing up to Simon. I suppose I was lucky because I’ve been trained to disagree with people in a polite way, having done politics at university. I think I was surprised how it came out because I forgot what I said until I watched it back and then I was like, “Ooh yes! I like that!”
Are you planning to make any changes to your image now you’re a bona fide pop idol? I haven’t been to the gym for quite a while and I’d like to get fit again. When I was at college I was dancing every other day so I do feel a bit unfit. I swim once a week at the moment, which is a bit bad. I normally run but I can’t stand running in the winter.
Of all of the songs that you sang in the final ten shows, which do you think you could have a Number One hit with? Probably the Bill Withers track Ain’t No Sunshine. I’d like to think Light My Fire (the song will sang in the show) but it’d probably be the Bill Withers.
That was a great version though. [Laughs] Yeah, I don’t know what happened with that really. Everything just sort of took over.
What are you going to buy with your first million? I’m going to get a new Mini! [Laughs] My first car was a Mini and I absolutely love them.
Are you prepared for how much your life is going to change now? Whatever bad times and good times are coming my way, I am ready for them.




Will is Pop Idol Winner!,Sun 10th Feb

Will Young is Britain’s newest Pop Idol – after staging a dramatic comeback to win ITV1’s much-hyped talent contest.
The 23-year-old from Berkshire polled 4.6m votes – nearly 53 per cent - pipping rival Gareth Gates at the final hurdle of the hit star-making show.
The spiky-haired 17-year-old was the odds-on favourite to take the title but lost out in a pulsating live finale to the five-month search.
A shocked Will was joined on stage by the final 50 contestants from earlier in the Pop Idol series as he closed the show with his version of Westlife’s Evergreen.
The song – along with a new track Anything Is Possible, penned by 90s chart star Cathy Dennis – will be released as a double A-side by Will in a couple of weeks.
The politics graduate now picks up a recording contract with BMG and a management deal with Simon Fuller, one of the brains behind the programme and the man who masterminded success for The Spice Girls and S Club 7.
Hosts Ant and Dec revealed the winner at 10.30pm. A record number of votes were cast and the Geordie duo explained how the lead between the two changed several times during the evening.
The sheer number of callers had threatened to crash the BT network. The company – which had 28,000 dedicated lines for the voting – was forced to limit the number of people who got through to save a meltdown on the system.
A spokeswoman said: "This was a national problem and not specific to any region. We had to put call gapping on to limit the number of calls that got through so callers would just get the engaged tone. We had to do it to protect the network."
But it seems there are no losers on Pop Idol. The four judges – Cowell, Capital Radio DJ Neil Fox, pop svengali Pete Waterman and Nicki Chapman – were so impressed by both contestants that Gareth has also been handed a record deal.
The teenager, who beat a stammer to appear in the series, is expected to release his first single a few weeks after Will’s record hits the shops.
Saturday’s final rounded off a week of campaigning by the pair which saw them travel around the country in their own “battle bus” drumming up support and doing media interviews.


Winner Will is Posh Idol,The Sun,12th Feb

Britain's newest pop heart-throb Will Young is having to come to terms with fame – but he is no stranger to fortune.
The 23-year-old who won the Pop Idol final on Saturday night is set to earn millions from his music career. But we can reveal
that Will has already enjoyed a life of luxury — unlike his working-class Pop Idol rival Gareth Gates, who lives in a Bradford
terrace and whose dad is a postman.
Will and his twin brother Rupert boarded at posh Horris Hill prep school from the age of eight until they were 13.
The red-brick building, which sits in secluded Berkshire countryside just south of Newbury, currently charges fees of £13,000
a year.
Headmaster Nigel Chapman recalled: “Will was a good all-rounder and head chorister while he was here.”
After Horris Hill, Will went to one of the most prestigious public schools in the country — Wellington College in nearby Crowthorne
— whose old boys include TV comedian Rory Bremner.
The college’s annual fee for boarders is nearly £18,000, which means that unless Will won a scholarship, his wealthy dad Robin
has paid out £155,000 for his schooling, at current prices.
Wellington College’s imposing 150-year-old building is a far cry from the glitz of Pop Idol.
The pupils — 750 boys and just 50 girls — wear regulation blazers and ties as they enter the college through a grand courtyard.
Rackets and rugby are the order of the day, while the music being promoted in the college reception is cello playing and classical
compositions.
Will himself started learning the piano when he was nine and stuck at it for four years.
Apart from music, he was also very keen on art, photography and dance and enjoyed biology at school.
He has said: “Music is my No1 passion but if it doesn’t work out I’d like to become a zoologist.”
Despite Will’s top-notch education, dad Robin, 51, reckons his Pop Idol son was no glittering academic. He said: “He wasn’t
interested in passing exams — he was more interested in experimentation. “He was very disappointed with his A-level grades
and he enrolled to re-take them at Oxford sixth-form college. “He got himself a restaurant job in Oxford. He set himself a
target and that’s what he wanted to achieve. He’s a man who sets his own objectives and went for it.”
After taking his exams again, Will went to Exeter University where he read politics, then studied drama at a college in West
London.
His dad’s wealth comes from an engineering company which he owns in Lambourn, Berks, and a part-share in a pub, the Pheasant
Inn at nearby Shefford Woodlands.
He is married to Annabel, 49, a nursery gardener, and counts former Conservative Cabinet minister David Mellor among his friends.
A pal said: “Robin tends to play down his wealth and success but he has done well for himself.”
In fact, Robin’s business brain has provided his family with a £500,000 home in the beautiful Berkshire countryside and allowed
his two sons their privileged upbringing.
Before Will’s Pop Idol win, Robin said: “I’ll support him in his decision as long as it doesn’t interfere with our lives too
much.
“It really hit us how much things had changed when we were called up by firm recently offering us advice on security, should
Will become famous.”
Meanwhile, mum Annabel is keen to maintain her privacy in the face of her lad’s fame. She said: “It’s William’s thing. We’re
really not keen to be involved.”



Will's the winner (but Simon would have preferred Gareth),Now Mag, 20th Feb

Some weeks back, before Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman lost the plot and come out with things ‘I’m going to throw a Spaniard in the works’ and ‘I’m British and I love you,’ he told an amazed Will Young: ‘The bad news is that you’re no Pop Idol, son. The good news is you’re a superstar.’
Simon Cowell tends to agree. On the show, he congratulated the winner Will, admitting that in the past he’d been wrong about him and that he was a superstar. But afterwards the man whose company will release Will’s first double A-sided single said: ‘the final vote has been irrelevant. Gareth is THE major Pop Idol to come out of the show. He’ll become a star as sure as night follows day and I’ve always known it.’
On Saturday night, 15 million viewers tuned in to see the final between bookies’ favourite Gareth Gates, the baby-faced Bradford lad with the stammer, and Exeter University graduate Will Young. The phone votes poured in and, although the lead changed several times, by the final cut-off Will had 4.6 million votes to Gareth’s 4.1 million.
It was an emotional moment when Ant and Dec made the announcement. Will clasped his hands to his face as tears sprang from his eyes. Gareth looked stunned, but recovered to give his friend and rival a hug and haltingly describe him as ‘awesome’. Former Pop Idol finalists stormed the stage and Darius Danesh, who was voted out of the show last week, bore Will aloft on his shoulders. In his first interview, Will – whose huge, trademark smile was stretched to record-breaking width – said: ‘I’m getting as drunk as a skunk tonight. I’ve hardly had a drink while I’ve been on the show, but tonight I’m going to make up for it. I’ll have a huge hangover by the time you read this.
‘I find it amazing that people have picked up phone and voted for me. I’d never set foot in a recording studio before Pop Idol and I’ve absolutely loved it. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do and it’s just amazing because it feels so right. I can’t believe what’s happened to me- It’s a dream come true. I’m still shaking. It’s unbelievable.'
Will told how he almost didn’t fill in the Pop Idol entry form after seeing it in a national newspaper.
‘I didn’t fill it in at first because I didn’t think I had a chance of winning. But the paper stayed there through Sunday and Monday and I kept thinking: “Shall I or shan’t I?” In the end, I grabbed a pen, filled it in and sent it off. ‘I had to do it quickly or my nerve would have failed me and I’d have screwed it up and thrown it in the bin.’
Will’s grin widened as he remembered another form he once filled in. ‘The university sent me a form asking about my ambitions. I said jokingly that it was to play at Wembley.’
Next month, he’ll star at Wembley Arena with the other finalists from the show. ‘It’s so far from what I’m used to that I have to pinch myself,’ he said.
For the final show, both Will and Gareth sang Evergreen and Anything Is Possible. The two songs will now be released as a double A-side featuring Will.
The Pop Idol judges were even-handed in their praise for both finalists. Even Simon Cowell, who’d expressed reservations about Will in the past, told him: ‘I was wrong earlier and I’m totally happy to admit it. You deserve your place here. You’re a superstar. Congratulations.’
By the time Ant and Dec returned to announce the winner two hours later, the tension was unbearable.
Will said: ‘When Ant and Dec said that it was really close, I just thought: “Oh well, I’ve come second. At least I haven’t lost by that much.” But when they said I’d won, there was this feeling of being totally isolated.
‘I could feel my legs turn to jelly. They’re still wobbly now. When I realised it was me who’d won it took probably a second to sink in, but it seemed like minutes.
‘Ant and Dec grabbed me to say congratulations. That was a good think because if they hadn’t, I’d have slipped to the floor in shock.’
Speaking of his rival Gareth, Will said: ‘I want to say that Gareth was fantastic tonight. He’s got so much talent and I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of him in the future.
‘We became good friends in the closing weeks of Pop Idol, as we kept seeing others voted off and realised it was getting very close between us. We’re definitely going to stay in contact. I wish him all the very best in the world.’
Although people are already talking about the millions Will is going to make, for the present he still lives with his mates in typical student style in Exeter. He says that, during the past weeks, his friends have at least has a break from his constant singing in the shower.
He’s determined to stay grounded. ‘I know they say money changes you as a person, but I’m not going to go down that road. I’m surrounded by a brilliant family and group of friends. Being a millionaire will never change the way I am to these people.’
But last week Will wanted a new toothbrush and was amazed when one of his entourage said: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get it for you.’
He’s not really adjusted to the idea that he can’t nip into Boots without being mobbed by fans. Like most superstars, he’s about to find out that fame is a double-edged sword.


"Pop Idol Finalist Kept Bereavement secret"

Pop Idol hopeful William Young kept a bereavment secret because he feared it would harm his chance of winning.
The 22 year old says his preparations for the show were interupted when he had to attend the funeral of a close family friend.
But he says he consoled himself with the thought that his dead friend was looking down wishing him well.
William is the latest contestant to go through to the final with 41.5% of the vote.
He was joined by Korben-real name-Chris Niblet who got 24.7%.
Speaking at a news conference,William said the family friend,a 40 year old mother of two,died of a brain tumour.
He said"She was the most fantastic woman and was in the forefront of my mind.I didn't want to say something to the judges because I didn't want to make a cheap thing of it.
"She was definetly looking down on me.I hope I did her proud."



**Interview with Will**

What sort of reaction did you get after you won the last round?
It's been mad.People on the tube have started talking to me,saying things like "Well done".I feel a bit dazed by it all.I have done a couple of radio and press interviews and it all seems unreal.My family were all in tears when I won.They were as stunned as I was.
Your worst pop idol moment?
It was during the audtions at the Criterion and we had to wait about three and a half hours in a room waiting for the judges decision and then I spent about 20 minutes in the maybe room. It was awful because I was standing in there,not knowing what was happening and we could hear other people in other rooms cheering.
Which contestants have you stayed friends with?
I have spoken to Rebecca Goven a few times and I've had a few text messages from Scott Sardari.
Which contestant do you fancy the most?
Erm,wow,I haven't really thought about it.Can I say none?
Which of the judges would you like to throw a custard pie at?
I would say Simon but I think I would chose Foxy. I'd like to see if a custard pie would make his suits look any better.
Describe your perfect weekend.
Getting on a sleeper train at King's Cross on Friday Night abnd waking up in Iveness on Saturday morning.I'd spend the weekend going for walks and sitting in pubs.
Have you ever had a disastrous date?
No,because I don't really go on dates.I tend to get to know people as friends first.
Describe your best date.
Ionce went to Cornwall with somebody for the weekend and we spent our time hanging out on the beach.It was lovely.
What Book are you reading?
Iris Murdoch's The Black Prince.
What is your fav tv show?
Eastenders.
Describe the best day of your life.
When I was at university I was depressed for a time,but one day I was sitting outside a cathedral when I suddenly realised I was happy again.I'll never forget that moment.
The worst day of your life?
I had a hangover and I was attending a lecture in Manchester,I missed my train and it took me seven hours to get there as I lost my waller and keys to the house.When I got there,the examier said I shouldn't have gone to all that effort because he could have sent me the notes!


Queen asks Will to party at the Palace, 27th Feb,The Sun

POP Idol Will Young will head the Queen’s jubilee pop festival after a special request by the Royal Family.
Will’s dream invite came as it was confirmed his debut single shifted an amazing 385,483 copies in just one day.
The double A-side Anything Is Possible/Evergreen is now a dead cert for No1 this week.
Will was also overjoyed last night after learning he is to perform at Buckingham Palace’s first rock event.
He said: “It is a huge honor and I’m sure it will be an unbelievable experience. I said during Pop Idol that I had always wanted tea with the Queen — it may not have happened yet but maybe it’s getting closer.”
Others who have agreed to celebrate her 50-year reign include Sir Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, S Club 7 and Beach Boy’s legend Brian Wilson.
Keeper of the Privy Purse Sir Michael Peat said: “Princes William and Harry are both very excited about the pop concert.”
More than 60million TV viewers will tune into the three-hour Party in the Palace in Buckingham Palace gardens on June 3.
Two days before the Queen will host a classical concert on the same stage, which will also be broadcast, live by the BBC.
THE 12,000 tickets for the two concerts are free and will be allocated by a draw.
To enter call 0900 1952 2002. A maximum of two tickets per call are available.
More than 3,000 phone lines have been opened and will remain active until midnight on March 17. Calls cost £1 each.
Money raised, including from sales of the rights to show the concerts overseas, will go towards the Queen’s Jubilee Fund.
Apply online at www.bbc.co.uk/queensconcerts
The Palace will contact successful applicants by April 19.


I've Given Up On Benders-News Of The World

POP IDOL winner Will Young has quit booze after a series of punishing drinking sessions.
The young singer has been on the lash more or less constantly since winning the ITV talent show.
But now 23-year-old Will has decided enough is enough.
In an exclusive interview he told the NOTW: "I just can't drink anymore for a while. I've overdone it. Especially after filming my video in Cuba. I told you I went on a huge bender there and I've been on a few more since then.
"We were in Dublin last week recording my album and I have to confess I did it again.
"Everything was fine when we arrived. I went to the studios and met the producer of one of my new tracks. We were in there from the early hours till around 8pm. I really fancied a Guinness afterwards so we went to a few bars. Before I knew it I was in U2's nightclub The Kitchen drinking more booze.

"Everyone kept coming up to me and shaking my hand and buying me drinks. We danced and partied till very late then went back to the Clarence Hotel and had a few more. We flew back the next morning and I felt terrible. That's when I decided no more booze."
It's a shame, because Will certainly has plenty to toast!
This afternoon it will be announced that his debut double A-side Evergreen/Anything Is Possible will shoot straight in at No1 after selling around 1.2MILLION copies.
That is more than double the previous record for Hear'Say's Pure And Simple, which sold 550,000 copies last summer.
Will says of the phenomenal sales: "Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would sell this many. It's unbelievable.
"The response has been amazing but I'll be celebrating with a nice cup of tea.
"I've still got a lot of my album to finish and I want to stay focused for that.I'm writing stuff along with Cathy Dennis and Burt Bacharach.
"I'm still pinching myself that they're going to be collaborating with me. It's great to be able to do your own stuff but to have talent like that on your side is a dream come true."


Will Interview, CosmoGirl, March 2002

When he grins the world grins with him, when he sings it's goose pimples all over! He's the sensitive sweetie with a style all of his own.
So Will, Pop Idol - how was it for you?
The whole experience was overwhelming. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about it and couldn't wait for Saturday to come around. But now I'm excited about the future.
Where there any downsides to the experience?
An acne outbreak which I had to deal with for the last five weeks of the competition! Call it stress or a late teen bloom, either way it was very strange.
What do you really think of Simon Cowell?
He's a funny chap, isn't he? With Simon there was always an element of cabaret, he was playing a role and playing it well. But he really wasn't that nasty towards the end. After his holiday, he was far more chilled out. But he is strange and I've told him that to his face. I can normally work people out but not him.
Now, your twin brother Rupert. Is he a budding singer too?
Yeah, he's not bad but he's not interested. Believe me you will never see us dueting. Even when times are tough and I need a gimmick! No danger of us being the new Bros!
How's your car doing these days?
Someone bashed into me the other day! Is victimising Will and his car the new national sport?! I'm actually quite a safe driver, it's when I'm stationary that problems occur. I did a radio interview the other day on my mobile and the meter wasn't working so I had to sit in my car fending off traffic wardens while I was talking!
Will you be the poshest person in pop?
[Laughs] I don't known if I'm posh because that denotes a little snobbery and I'm not a snob in any definition of the word. I'd say I was well spoken and have good manners...unless you're a traffic warden!
Where's the weirdest place you've ever been recognised?
At a urinal while I was peeing! This man leant over and said, "You're on TV, aren't you?" He could have waited until I'd finished - I was mid flow! He told me he'd voted for me eleven times in one week.
Have you had any saucy propositions?
I've had one letter from this lady who was, rather sweetly, convinced we ought to be together. It was flattering but weird she could think that without meeting me. It's okay in theory but I'm sure the reality would be a big disappointment.
So you're still single?
Yep but I'm a little busy for love at the mo and I'm also rubbish at chatting people up. I always end up saying something like, "Cotton wool, it's really underrated, don't you think?" It's definitely something I need to work on.
What if pop-stardom doesn't pan out?
If it goes to pot then I'd like to write. I've been writing with a friend of mine who's a great actor and we've got an idea for a film. A talent show, ten people...No, I'm joking!
And finally Will, was it all a fix?
I bloody hope not because I'll be livid if I find out it was!




TOTP ban on Will's No1 single-The Sun - Monday 4th March 2002
POP Idol winner Will Young shot to Number One with his debut single yesterday — but has been banned from singing it live on Top Of The Pops.
The 23-year-old politics graduate cruised to the top spot with more than 1.1million sales of his double A-side disc Anything Is Possible and Evergreen.
But his record company BMG have refused to let him appear on TOTP after producers of the BBC1 show turned down their demands to let him perform both songs.
TV chiefs said that would mean dedicating a quarter of the show to Will, which they are not prepared to do. They will now show his video instead.
TOTP producer Michael Kelpie said: “This is a very sad moment in Top Of The Pops history. “The door is still open to Will and we would love to have him on the show as long as the record company change their unreasonable demands.”
TOTP was due to have the exclusive first showing of Will’s video last week and the first live performance of his single this Friday.
But talks broke down when TOTP said it was rare for them to show a debut act before they hit the charts.
And they almost never let acts perform more than one song unless it is for a special one-off show.
A TOTP insider said: “In our 38-year history we’ve featured the likes of Michael Jackson, Prince, Jennifer Lopez and Madonna. Their record companies made no such demands.
“It is a real shame as I know it has been Will’s lifelong dream to perform on the show. We cannot let record companies start dictating to us how much coverage their artists get.”
A spokesman for Will refused to comment on the stand-off last night.
The golden-voiced singer, from Hungerford, Berks, won the hearts of the nation when he beat rival Gareth Gates to be crowned winner of the Pop Idol talent search three weeks ago.
His single has smashed every record set by a debut music act.
He will now be entered in The Guinness Book of Hit Singles as the biggest-selling debut act over a week and for first-day sales.
Delighted Will, who appeared on London’s Capital Radio yesterday, said last night: “I can’t express how happy I am. It’s an amazing feeling to have a No1 hit. Everything I’ve experienced over the last couple of months is just beginning to sink in.
“To have broken records with my debut single is incredible. All I can say is the biggest thank you to everyone who voted for me and everyone who’s bought the single. I thought it couldn’t get better, but it just has.”
Will’s single sold 385,483 on its first day of release last week. Its total for the week was 1,108, 269 — just 1,731 short of going double platinum.
The previous biggest-selling debut act was Hear’Say from ITV’s Popstars show last year. First week sales of their debut single hit 550,000 copies.
David Roberts, Editor of the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, was astonished by the reaction to Will.
He said: “Every day this week Will was on the way to new records. He has broken the one million barrier in his first week. It’s something special.”
The biggest and fastest-selling single yet was Sir Elton John’s Candle in the Wind tribute to Princess Diana. It sold more than five million, including 1.5million in the first week.




Will 'No' to TOTP medley-The Sun - Wednesday 6th March 2002
A COMPROMISE offer by Top Of The Pops bosses to get WILL YOUNG on Friday’s show has been rejected.
TV execs suggested Will sing a medley of his No1 double A-side, filling a 2½-minute slot, but record label BMG said no.
The row exploded when BMG demanded Will be allowed to sing Evergreen and Anything Is Possible on the show. TOTP said that would take up almost a quarter of their airtime.
A TOTP insider said: “We offered an olive branch but BMG won’t entertain the idea so fans will miss out.”
The show will feature the Evergreen video. It’s not all bad news for Will though, he should stay at No1.
His single has sold 96,048 copies this week to add to the record 1,108,269 he shifted last week.
Fat bloke RIK WALLER’s cover of I Will Always Love You has sold just 5,331.



Will Breaks Records In South Africa-NME Website-

WILL YOUNG is not just breaking records in the UK - he’s doing the same in SOUTH AFRICA. A massive 53,000 copies of the 'Pop Idol' winner's first single were snapped up last week.
Young’s 'Evergreen' / 'Anything Is Possible' outstripped first week sales of Elton John’s Princess Diana tribute 'Candle In the Wind', according to his record label BMG.
The double A-side single was only due to be released on Monday (March 11), but a retailer’s promotional campaign saw his label push the release date forward a week to coincide with the final episode of UK 'Pop Idol', which ended its run on South Africa’s pay channel, M-Net, last Sunday (March 3).
"By midweek we were rush pressing another 20,000 (copies), but that wasn’t enough." says a BMG spokesman. "Everyone in the business misread the market. We were expecting to shift 50,000, but thought it would take at least several weeks. The CD single market was virtually dead in this country until Will and 'Pop Idol' came along. Now there’s no reason why we can’t move 100,000."
Expectations are that Gareth Gates’ cover of 'Unchained Melody', due for released in South Africa on March 25, will outsell Will’s single.

Now that retailers have cottoned on to the mania, they will be queuing up to place ads on 'Idols', the South African franchise of UK 'Pop Idol', which debuted on Sunday (March 10).


Will's Amazing Rise to the top-Heat Mag
As his debut single heads to Number One in the charts, heat's Paige Schuppan charts Will Young's incredible journey from schoolboy to pop star

Not even in his wildest dreams did he think it would happen. Pop Idol winner Will Young has a major record deal, a sure-fire hit single under his belt and is set to become a millionaire - and all before his 24th birthday. Despite his privileged upbringing, it's still something few of his classmates at public school would have predicted for the popular and outgoing youngster. So how exactly did Will Young go from being a posh pupil to being a pop idol?

The Early Years
Will was raised by his parents - dad, Robin, a company director, and housewife mum, Annabel - in the leafy countryside of Hungerford, Berkshire. But things didn't start too smoothly. Performing in front of Simon Cowell was nothing compared to his traumatic introduction to the world when he and his twin Rupert were born six weeks prematurely.

These days, Will, the elder twin by ten minutes, is really close to his brother - Rupert was caught on camera cheering on Will's Pop Idol performances - but it wasn't always like that. Will's father remembers how they were "constantly scrapping" as kids.

And although we may know Will as a polite, well-spoken young man, as a child he was definitely no angel. Will's parents couldn't believe it when the youngster developed an unnerving taste for the family dog's pet food. But his dad's greatest memory of the twins is from when they were about four years old: "We were outside their room listening to them open Christmas presents," recalls Robin, "Out of the blue came Will's remark: 'That ------- Santa didn't bring me any Lego'."

And it seems Simon Cowell wasn't the first person to come up against Will; the young man has always spoken his mind. Robin also remembers the time a surgeon wanted to break and reset Will's crooked jaw. "He refused. There was no arguing with him."

School Days
At the age of eight, the twins were shipped off to the posh Horris Hill Prep School, just south of Newbury, where they boarded for five years. The regime was pretty austere and Edwardian - surnames only, unheated dorms, furiously competitive compulsory games and limited parental access - but it did give Will a taste for music. In his second year, he took up playing the piano and stuck with it for four years. Headmaster Nigel Chapman remembers him as a "good all-rounder and head chorister".

After Horris Hill, Will and Rupert went on to one of the most prestigious public schools in the country, Wellington College. Here, Will may have been captain of athletics and head of his house, but he was a bit of a naughty boy when it came to his studies and wasn't universally popular with the teachers. One of his school reports says: "My heart sank when I learnt William was in my class."

Bright-spark Will managed to sail through ten GCSEs, but his mucking about caught up with him when he got disappointing A-Level results - time for retakes at a sixth-form college in Oxford. Not one to sponge off the family, he got a part-time job serving posh coffee at Oxford's swanky Grand Café to support himself. "He was one of those people that everyone knew," one of co-workers recalls, "really easy-going and would chat to anybody."

Uni High Life
Eventually, Will's hard slog paid off. With two A's and a B, in Politics, Ancient History and English, he got in to Exeter University and soon established himself a reputation as a bit of a joker. In his second and third years, Will lived in a flat on Well Street with a group of friends. Best mate Adam Jones remembers how, "He put all the furniture from my first-floor flat into a ground floor one once after a drunken night out, then dangled me out of the window." But even though Will partied hard, he worked hard too and graduated with a second-class degree in Politics.

But Will's number one priority all along was his music. According to his personal tutor and politics teacher Dr Larbi Sadiki, "If he missed class it was because of his music. He never lied about it. We understood and gave him a bit of leeway." Even his fellow students recognised Will's star quality. "I remember some of the students saying before classes, 'This guy's going to be a star'," says Sadiki.

Stardom Beckons
Ironically, Will met Simon Cowell long before Pop Idol, when the latter judged a competition on This Morning to find a boy band. Will won a place in the line-up and, although the band later flopped, it gave him his first taste of stardom. The aspiring singer sooner joined a theatre group called Footlights where he eventually won the lead role of Curly in a production of Oklahoma!. "That's where I got my confidence from," he says. "It was just brilliant."

In the autumn of 2001, Will enrolled in The Arts Educational School in Chiswick, west London. "When I left university I thought, 'I want to go and sing,' but I didn't want to be that naive person without any training," he says. But during his first term at the school, Will was simultaneously auditioning for Pop Idol and he started to doubt the direction his career was taking. "As soon as I was in the last 50, I realised that musical theatre wasn't for me." So he put his training on hold and decided to concentrate on Pop Idol.

When Will graduated, Robin sat him down for a father-son chat. "I did the fatherly, 'Get a proper job,' thing and advised him against following a singing career. I thought I'd persuaded him," Robin says. The conversation obviously played on Will's mind because he decided not to tell his family he'd entered Pop Idol.

"We had no idea he was even on the show until he mentioned it. We switched on an episode when the judges were deciding who should be in the final 50 - and there he was," explains twin Rupert. "But that was so typical of him." Over the next few months Will would stand up to Simon, deliver the performances of his life, play to a 7,000-strong crowd at an S Club 7 concert, record a hit single and, ultimately, win the biggest talent show ever.

The Future
A team of top stylists have dramatically transformed Will from a scruffy public schoolboy into a modern day Armani-suited heart-throb. But the upside of fame - having people at your beck-and-call 24/7 - are taking some getting used to. "I've been trying to buy a toothbrush and people around me keep saying, 'Don't worry, we'll get it for you'," says Will. But he's determined to keep his feet on the ground. "I'll never lose sight of the fact that I'm surrounded by a brilliant family and group of friends. Being a millionaire will never change the way I am to these people." And no one is prouder of him than his dad, "I was humbled when I first saw him on the show. I'd underestimated his ability and strength of character. I'm so glad he ignored my advice."

So it seems Will not only has a fantastic singing voice he's also got an educated brain, good looks and above all, ambition. A powerful cocktail which many stars would give their eye teeth for. He won the biggest talent competition we have ever seen and this boy is here to stay. Robbie Williams be afraid, be very afraid....


Gareth Supports Will Coming Out-(MRIB)-12th March
Gareth Gates has come out in support of Will Young, who announced to the world on March 10th that he is gay.
"I have always known about him," Gareth said. "It's no big deal for him or for us. He's still the Will we all know and love. I think it was really brave for him to come out to everyone."
Meanwhile, the 17-year-old Bradford-born singer said his love of the church has helped him to come to terms with his staggering success. "Church is something that is always there for you," he revealed. "You are able to go to it in times of need, when you haven't got anywhere to turn. It is really good to have something there where you can get the answers. I have been there a lot recently."


Will: I've lost all my pals -Daily Star - Saturday 9th March 2002
Chart topper Will Young has been nicknamed "Willy No-Mates" - because all his pals have deserted him now he is a
star.
The former student - at No.1 with Evergreen - has revealed that all his friends have stopped calling him since he won Pop
Idol last month.
He said: "None of them ring me anymore, which is slightly worrying!"
The 23 year old also revealed that despite being caught up in a hectic pop life he is still on the hunt for love.
He said: "I am single at the moment and, but I'd like to find a new flame."
And he disclosed that the Queen is no longer at the top of his wish list for dates. Will recently admitted that his ideal
night out would be supper with Her Maj.
But after she voted for rival Gareth in the Pop Idol finale he has set his sights on a new lady supper date - Hollywood beauty
Michelle Pfeiffer. Will said: "She's gorgeous." He also said he does not worry if certain sections of the music
industry find him "cheesy". He added: "I'm proud of who I am. If people think I'm cheesy, then I'll be cheesy
and proud!"
Meanwhile, Will is being tipped to steal Madonna's thunder by recording the theme tune for the new James Bond movie.
He has been secretly working with composer John Barry, who wrote the 007 hits Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and Diamonds
Are Forever.
It has led to widespread speculation that Will could be asked to sing the official theme song for the new Bond film, due later
this year.
In recent months there have been rumours that Pop Queen Madonna would be asked to perform the track.
But now it seems Will could be the one to grab the prized song instead.
A source said: "Record producers have been in talks with John Barry to pen some new songs because they think his style
of music would really suit Will's voice.
"That's led to a flurry of speculation that Will could be invited to record the official song for the new James Bond
film.
"To have the UK's hottest singer perform the song would be a coup for film bosses and Will's record company.
"It would certainly guarantee him another no.1 hit."
Last night Will's spokeswoman refused to be drawn on the 007 rumours.
But she did say: "It's true that there have been talks with John Barry about involving him in tracks for Will's debut
album."
Meanwhile songwriting legend Burt Bacharach has also been signed up to write for Will.
The man who wrote massive hits for Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield and The Walker Brothers is working on a batch of new songs
for Will.
Burt's famous soulful tracks include I'll Never Fall In Love Again, Make It Easy on Yourself And What The World Needs Is Love.


Will: I'm gay-(News of the World) - Sunday 10th March 2002
POP Idol winner Will Young has fame, fortune, adulation—and the courage of a lion.
And last night, after hearing the news that his first record—the fastest selling debut single in history — had sold an astonishing 1.4 million copies, he opened up that brave heart to announce: "I feel it's time to tell my fans I'm gay."
In an amazingly frank exclusive interview with the News of the World he insisted: "It's totally no big deal, just part of who I am.
"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 always try to be honest with myself and truthful with everyone.

Support
"I'm sure this will not come as a surprise to many people, although I've aways been discreet and I'm not a campaigner when it comes to my sexuality."
Many of the biggest names in showbiz and public life are homosexual and feel forced to live a lie.
But last night Will — the former politics student who endeared himself to all Britain with his talent, guts and the widest of wide grins—won total support from friends and colleagues for his honesty.
"Some other media pressure has led me to talk about my private life," he told us. "I always try and be honest and true to myself and not to take life too seriously.
"My family and friends have known ever since I have. They've always been there for me. And my management have been fantastic. I had a long conversation with the boss Simon Fuller last night and told him about my decision to come out publicly.
"He was totally relaxed and supportive and left it up to me to decide when, or if, I wanted to talk about it. Now is that time.
"But I don't wish to talk about it any further—and I hope people will respect that. My private life is my private life." A Pop Iol source told us: "Will's had lots of speculation about his private life. He is gay but is very discreet and not some gay rights fanatic.
"He's only ever had two close relationships and is now really too busy to have a partner. He's totally focused on his career at the moment.
He wanted to come out in the News of the World because that's where this all began when saw the entry form in the paper.
"He's just happy that it's out and he can carry on working."
It is a bold move, for the pop record industry is still firmly targeted at selling to young female fans.
And business experts predict a £5million pay packet for Will in his first year alone. Will himself is well aware of his appeal.
In one early round of the 20-week TV talent contest he laughed off a jibe from Mr Nasty panellist Simon Cowell and hit back: "I get fan mail from six-year-old girls to 65-year-old aunties. It's amazing!"
And the nice guy from Hungerford, Berkshire, went on to win the big one—bagging an astonishing 4.6 million phone votes, 53.1 per cent of all those cast, plus a lucrative deal with record company BMG and 19

Management
When his first record, the double A-side Anything Is Possible/Evergreen, was released on February 25 he notched up more than a million sales in one week and went straight into the chart at Number 1.
It even eclipsed the massive first week success of Band Aid's historic Do They Know It's Christmas? release in 1984.
But instant glory has not gone to his head.
Even when Will first walked off the Pop Idol stage after learning he'd beaten his rival, hot favourite Gareth Gates, it was the News of the World he saluted for printing the contest entry coupon that clinched him fame and fortune. "I wouldn't be here without you," he said.

Dreams
Millions watched that final with Will and Gareth going head-to-head.
Both sang their hearts out with Evergreen and Anything Is Possible—the songs that have now made Will top of the pops.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would sell this many," admitted Will. "It's unbelievable."
On Wednesday Will and the rest of the Pop Idol stars hit the road, kicking off a nationwide tour at Wembley Arena.
And it's already a massive sell-out. "I can't wait to get back on stage and start performing again," said Will.
"I'm really looking forward to being out there with the fans. I'm determined to give them a great show.
"I just love being up there on stage—that's when I'm happiest!"
Will has always yearned to be singing star. Even at university in Exeter he won over fans with a role in the stage musical Oklahoma!
And last week Will vowed to get in shape for the big round-Britain trek by quitting the booze after a series of heavy celebration sessions.
"I just can't drink any more for a while," he confessed. "I've overdone it, especially after filming my video in Cuba. I went on a huge bender there, and I've been on a few more since."
But Will has one of the best organisations in the business to advise and support him.
He has pop svengali Simon Fuller—the man who created the Spice Girls—along with Nicki Chapman who co-manages the star. On the PR side he relies on the great team at Henry's House where Julian Henry and Charlotte Hickson have masterminded his media coverage along with BMG's Simon Cowell, Nigel Sweeney and Sonny Takhar.
A close friend said: "Will's over the moon about the success but he doesn't let it go to his head.
"He knows that it's easy to get carried away and he wants to be in this business for a long time. And believe me he will be."




Will has no say!

It has been revealed that the deal Will Young has signed with 19 Management's Simon Fuller means he'll have no say whatsoever about the kind of songs he'll sing in the future. According to reports, Will won't be allowed to choose any tunes, must ask Fuller's permission in writing if he wants expenses on promotional tours and is also slated to pay for the upkeep of his own website, www.wyoung.co.uk.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old won't find himself out of pocket just yet, as he's expected to receive £620,000 in royalties from the sales of 1.4million copies of his debut single.
For his part, Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell is confident that Will won't be a one-hit wonder and recently opined, "He's more talented than a lot of artists out there, has an original voice and lots of guts. And his next single [a cover of Light My Fire] will be huge."


Will And Gareth Go Head To Head In Charts Battle-Ananova - Monday 18th March
A battle for the top of the charts is beginning between Will Young and Gareth Gates.
Gareth is to release his debut single which could be an even bigger seller than Will's Anything Is Possible/Evergreen which has been number one for the past three weeks.
Orders from retailers for the 17-year-old's cover of Unchained Melody have led his record company BMG to press up 1.3 million copies initially.
Will's release has sold around 1.5 million.
The Bradford teenager will also be up against his musical hero George Michael who was releasing a comeback single, Freeek!.
Bookies William Hill are offering odds of 1/9 that Unchained Melody will be number one and 10/1 that it will stay at the top of the chart for eight weeks or more.
Gareth narrowly lost out on the Pop Idol crown to Will but he was immediately offered a recording contract with BMG and his success looks assured.
He has already signed a six-figure deal with Pepsi, which counts Britney Spears among its line-up.
Gareth and Will have been thrilling thousands of fans as part of a nationwide Pop Idol Tour, which kicked off at Wembley Arena last Thursday. All 10 finalists from the ITV1 series have taken part in the show, which is hosted by judge Nicki Chapman.
The 21-date tour will visit Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Newcastle before ending with a special Royal Command performance. The Pop Idols will perform in front of the Prince of Wales at a concert in aid of The Prince's Trust on April 6.


Now it's Garethgate-The Sun - Friday 22nd March

POP IDOL record boss Ged Doherty has penned an open letter to The Sun insisting that Gareth Gates is not being promoted at Will Young’s expense.
He wrote in answer to the Garethgate scandal after we revealed that show host Declan Donnelly and many fans believed programme chiefs preferred runner-up Gareth to winner Will.
Ged, the managing director of BMG Records, which has signed both Gareth, 17, and Will, 23, exclusively told us: “There is no conspiracy.”
His letter said: “I’d like to put your mind at rest. There is no conspiracy behind Will and Gareth.
“Dec is a great TV personality and is entitled to give his opinion but he is wrong to say that we have been unfair on Will.
“We’ve been knocked out by the amazing level of support for both Will and Gareth and we’re delighted to have two hugely talented and entertaining new stars with our company. The TV show Pop Idol was clearly a competition with a winner and that winner was Will Young.
“That fact is not open to dispute. The public made sure of that by voting in such huge numbers.
“BMG have signed both Will and Gareth and we are working very hard to help make them both as successful as possible.
“This has to be great news for the British music industry — which has been revitalised — as well as for the millions of people who love pop music and who are buying their records and going to their concerts.
“Both Will and Gareth are very special talents and I’m sure you will see both of them develop and mature in different ways over the next few years, but there was only one winner of the Pop Idol TV show.
“On a personal note, I can tell you that my family’s votes were equally split between Will and Gareth as mirrored in most families up and down the land.”
Dec, 26, said he believed Gareth has been promoted more heavily than Will and that Gareth’s single should not have come out just three weeks after the Pop Idol winner’s.




Will congratulates Gareth- Sunday 24th March 2002 (from ananova.com)
Pop Idol winner Will Young has congratulated Gareth Gates on his number one success.
Will and Gareth are currently on a tour of the country with the other eight finalists from Pop Idol.
Will called Gareth onto the stage at the NEC in Birmingham in front of 12,500 fans to make a special presentation.
Will said: "I have in my hand a very special award from the Guinness Book of Hit Singles with the record for the youngest and biggest selling solo British artist."
Accepting the award Gareth said: "It has always been my dream to have a number one hit and to be living it here, on stage, in front of some of the people who have made it possible, as well as all the other Pop Idol finalists, is an amazing feeling."
News that Gareth had wrestled top spot from the Pop Idol winner came as little surprise to those at tonight's show.
Danni James, 16, of Loughborough Road, Coventry, said: "I thought he would get it and it's really good. I bought Will's single when it came out and then I bought Gareth's."
Hazel and Claire Hopewell, of Gordon Lane, Birmingham, brought with them to the concert a double-sided banner - one side devoted to Will and the other to Gareth.
Hazel said: "I wanted to come last night but we couldn't get in I am really glad we were here tonight so I could see him get the award - that was lovely of Will."



Robbie tells Will: Hands off my guy- Fri 29th March, The Sun

Robbie Williams is furious that writing partner and pal Guy Chambers is penning songs for Will Young.
Insecure Robbie, who is taking a year off from the music business, fears his fan base will move away from him and turn to the Pop Idol winner with the help of Guy’s expert guidance.
Guy and Robbie are currently the most successful partnership in pop.
Chambers co-wrote Robbie’s biggest hits including Angels, Let Me Entertain You and Millennium.
The pair also share an Ivor Novello Award for the 1999 No1 single Strong and are as rich as each other.
As well as writing Robbie’s music, Guy also plays keyboards as part of the singer’s backing band on stage.
Guy is a self-confessed workaholic and is not prepared to sit idle for a year while Robbie tries to stay out of the limelight.
He has already written some songs for former All Saint SHAZNAY LEWIS and is now working on material for Will and his record label BMG.
But pals of Robbie say the star is beginning to panic.
One said: “It’s no secret that Robbie puts a large proportion of his success down to Guy’s talents.
“He is putting on a brave face but is concerned he may find it difficult when he returns next year if Guy and Will have formed a strong tie.
“He also fears Will may cash in on his fan base while he takes time out from the scene.
“He’s very insecure and is not happy but Guy is a free agent and he wants to work while Robbie’s having time off.”
Industry bosses say working with Guy is the natural path for Will to go down.
They believe his fans see him as a younger version of Robbie who, with the right songs, can stay at the top for years.
Robbie is currently on holiday in Los Angeles where he goes to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings every day.
He is trying hard to stay sober — and believes he is better off away from the temptations on offer in London.



Pop Will's plea over Milly, Sat 30th March, The Sun

POP Idol star Will Young last night made an emotional TV plea to missing Milly Dowler.
Minutes before going on stage at a sell-out show, the schoolgirl’s singing hero said in his appeal on ITN: “Milly, you’re not in trouble.
“Your friends and family love you very much. You are greatly missed. If you’re watching, please simply call a friend or any family member to let them know you are safe.”
Holding up a poster picturing 13-year-old Milly, he added: “We are appealing to anyone with any information. No matter how trivial you may think it is, it may make all the difference. The number to call is 01372 471212.”
Will, 23, then joined runner-up Gareth Gates and the rest of the Pop Idol line-up on stage at the 12,000-seat Sheffield Arena. Milly saw the tour in London two days before she vanished.
A Surrey Police spokeswoman said: “Milly is a huge Will fan. We asked him if he would make an appeal and he agreed straightaway. We are extremely grateful.”
Yesterday detectives probed dozens of leads sparked by over 250 calls to BBC TV’s Crimewatch on Thursday night.
It reconstructed Milly’s last steps after she got off a train with school pals in her home town of Walton-on-Thames nine days ago.
Supt Alan Sharp, leading the hunt, said: “We are extremely pleased we have received so many calls, many of them significant.”
One witness told cops he had seen a middle-aged man acting suspiciously in a car near the station on the day she went missing — and the day before.
Yesterday 15 police officers continued combing the family’s four-bedroom house.
They downloaded emails from a computer, but say nothing found so far indicates she had secret friends.



Idol Will snubbed again,The Sun,2nd April 02

WILL YOUNG fans are in for more disappointment as I can reveal the Zoegate scandal.
An album of songs by the Pop Idol finalists, to be released on Monday, features more tracks by fourth-placed ZOE BIRKETT than winner Will.
Zoe, below, sings three songs on the CD — titled Pop Idol: The Big Band Album — while Will performs on just two. Runner-up GARETH GATES also sings two tracks.
Two weeks ago I revealed the Garethgate scandal where Pop Idol host DECLAN DONNELLY told The Sun he believed Will was being treated unfairly because Gareth was being promoted more.
We received thousands of letters and e-mails from readers who agreed.


Pop Idol finalists back England with charity World Cup fan flag(Ananova)

Pop Idol stars have given their support to England's efforts in the World Cup this summer.
Winner Will Young and runner-up Gareth Gates signed a flag bearing the cross of St George.
The aim is to get a million signatures on the flag - making it the world's largest fan flag.
It will then be sold for charity.
Will and Gareth were joined by other finalists, including Zoe, Hayley and Korben, for the signing.
England manager Sven Goran Eriksson launched the initiative last week which is backed by the Football Association and England team sponsor the Nationwide Building Society.
Fans can get involved online by registering at www.TheFA.com/flag and leaving a good luck message.
Eriksson said: "This campaign is a magnificent way of symbolising the entire country's support for the national team. We will travel to the World Cup with wonderful support behind us. It will mean a lot to me and all the players."


Macca snubs duet with Will,Bizzare Column,The Sun,Sat 6th April

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has given a huge snub to WILL YOUNG – refusing point-blank to a duet at Buckingham Palace. Will’s 19 Management, headed by SIMON FULLER, were confident Macca would sing with the POP IDOL winner at the Party In The Palace celebrating the Queen’s Golden Jubilee this summer.But the former Beatle turned them down flat.A concert insider told The Sun: “Will is a big Fab Four fan and was thrilled when Simon had the idea of them singing together.“They went to Paul’s people expecting to get the green light — after all, Will has just won the biggest search for a star contest ever launched in this country.“But his management came back and said Sir Paul was dead against it.”Sources say the rejection came straight from Macca, who is on tour in the US but due back for the June 3 bash in London. He has told pals he does not believe in Pop Idol and wants nothing to do with it. The star recently said he hated today’s charts, complaining it was mostly “synthetic music, boy bands and a lot of girls not wearing much”.Ironically Sir Paul is set to make as much as £1million from the TV talent show’s huge success.He owns the publishing rights to runner-up GARETH GATES’s No1 — THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS’s Unchained Melody — and is quids in every time the song is played.Meanwhile, Will, Gareth and fellow Pop Idol finalist Darius Danesh have been made ambassadors for the Prince's Trust to work on youth causes.



Marc Almond believes Pop Idol's shouldn't be releasing records(ananova)

He believes Will Young should be the only pop star to emerge from the series.

The Soft Cell star says the other finalists can get lost.

He said: "It's very easy to be famous nowadays, but it's also a lot easier to disposed of.

"Why do we have to put up with the Pop Idol losers and runners-up releasing records? It's all very Saturday night karaoke. There's room for Will Young because he won the competition, but the rest can f**k off.

Soft Cell have a new album scheduled for release in September. Almond thinks the duo's new material will appeal to established fans and the upcoming generation of music lovers.

"I'm nearly 45, so I'm going through a kind of midlife crisis. That will be reflected in the album. But I think we've managed to keep our mystique. At the first set of Soft Cell reunion gigs there were older people mixed in with a lot of teenagers who've just discovered us."

Almond says he hasn't heard Marilyn Manson's cover version of Tainted Love, which is currently in the UK Top Ten. "I like Marilyn Manson and people have asked me about it, but I haven't heard it yet," he said.

"I'm much more interested in completely different versions of songs like David Gray's cover of Say Hello, Wave Goodbye. Of course, we wrote that song so we get royalties from that one - maybe there's a mercenary element to my attitude somewhere."

A Greatest Hits album has just been released, which includes two new Soft Cell compositions.



Will's thrill,News Of The World,Sun 7th April

Pop Idol winner Will Young is set to go to No.1 in next week's album chart.

The singer is joined by the other nine finalists from the ITV talent show on Pop Idol - The Big Band album that's out tomorrow.

Will told the News of the World last night: "The album is brilliant. I love the tracks Beyond The Sea and I Won't Dance because I'm a huge Frank Sinatra fan."

Will and Pop Idol runner up gareth and Darius will become ambassadors for the Pronce's Trust after doing a London concert for the charity last night.

Will said: "It's a great honour to become one of the ambassadors. I'm thrilled to bits."





Pop Idol Young to duet with Tony Bennett,Ananova,Sun 7th April

Pop Idol winner Will Young is set to duet with crooner Tony Bennett at the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert.
The pair are in talks to appear together on stage in the grounds of Buckingham Palace at the showpiece concert on June 3.
The show will see a string of famous names celebrating the royal milestone in front of thousands of fans who have won tickets for the free show.
Young's first single, the double A-side Evergreen/Anything Is Possible, shifted 1.1 million copies in a week to become the fastest-selling debut of all time.
He has previously duetted with Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates on Beatles classic The Long And Winding Road, but not previously with an established name from the music world.
The two singers have 47 years separating their number one singles. Bennett hit the UK number one in 1955 with Stranger In Paradise while Young made it to the top in 2002.
A concert insider said: "The plan is for them to do a duet, but the song has not yet been decided."
Young has already had a brush with the greats of easy listening. Burt Bacharach - who has been behind hits like Trans And Boats And Planes, Say A Little Prayer and Anyone Who Had a Heart - is writing songs for his first album.
The concert will also feature performances by Sir Paul McCartney, Beach Boys star Brian Wilson and Sir Elton John.





Will Young bids for stardom in US(ananova.com)
Will Young is set to try to become a star in America.
Simon Cowell, who helps look after Will's career, says they are talking about launching him in the US.
Cowell says he thinks Will may have to change his musical focus if he is to crack the American market.
He told the Daily Express: "Will is so unique that he will definitely have longevity. I think he will move from the pop world to singing soul. It's all about having the right songwriters for Will".
Cowell says he is also busy preparing for the next series of Pop Idol.
He said: "We're going to tweak it slightly so that it will be as big a success as the first time round."


Will Young announces first hometown performance(ananova)

Will Young is to play his first hometown gig in Reading on Sunday June 9.
He will head the Summer XS festival at the city's Rivermead along with Liberty X, Sugababes and allSTARS.
Gareth Gates has joined the line-up at a Summer XS gig in Donington Park in Nottinghamshire on Saturday June 15.
The gigs are part of a string of Summer XS concerts taking place across the UK in conjunction with local radio stations.
Will says: "I'm extremely chuffed to be playing at Summer XS in Reading. We've had great fun on tour but playing to a home crowd will be really exciting.
"It's always great to come home, it will be yet another milestone in an astounding year."
Details of gigs in Wolverhampton on July 14, Bristol on August 8, and Bournemouth on September 15 are expected to be announced at a later date.
Organisers are planning to build two big screens on stage to show backstage interviews with the artists.
Tickets, priced £12.50, are available by calling 08708 400 400.



Aussie stars win dirty weekend survey(ananova)

Russell Crowe and Kylie Minogue are people's ideal partners for a dirty weekend, according to a new survey.
Crowe beat fellow Hollywood actors George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
Kylie triumphed over the likes of Julia Roberts and Penelope Cruz.
Only one in three women and one in four men said they would take their partner on a dirty weekend.
The survey also revealed that 32% of couples had checked into a hotel or guest house under bogus names.
The Top Ten men and women were:
1- Russell Crowe and Kylie Minogue
2 - George Clooney and Julia Roberts
3 - Robbie Williams and Halle Berry
4 - Brad Pitt and Britney Spears
5 - Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie
6 - Ewan Mcgregor and Penelope Cruz
7 - Sean Bean and Catherine Zeta Jones
8 - Martin Kemp and Pamela Anderson
9 - Graham Norton and Denise Richards
10 - Will Young and Denise Van Outen


Joan Collins and Martin Kemp to present Bafta TV awards,Ananova-18th April

Joan Collins, Martin Kemp and Davina McCall are among stars announcing winners at this year's Bafta TV awards.

The ceremony takes place at London's Theatre Royal on Sunday.

Pop Idol winner Will Young has confirmed he will be attending.

Fay Ripley, James Nesbitt, Amanda Holden, Richard Blackwood, Meera Syal and Ioan Gruffudd will also be presenting awards.

Organisers have arranged for members of the public to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars in a special public gallery outside the Theatre Royal on Wellington Street.

The gallery will open at 4pm and stars will begin to arrive from 5pm onwards.

The Bafta TV Awards will be hosted by Chris Tarrant and will be broadcast on ITV1 on Monday April 22 at 8.30pm.

This year's nominees include:
Best Single Drama: My Beautiful Son, The Navigators, Othello, When I Was 12.
Best Drama Series: At Home With The Braithwaites, Clocking Off, Cold Feet, Tales From Pleasure Beach.
Best Sitcom: Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Happiness, The Office, Spaced II.
Best Comedy Programme/Series: Brass Eye Special, Bremner, Bird and Fortune, The Kumars At No 42, The Sketch Show.
Best Presenter: Michael Parkinson - Parkinson. Jeremy Paxman - Newsnight. Simon Schama - A History Of Britain. Louis Theroux - When Louis Met...
Best Soap: Coronation Street, EastEnders, Doctors, Hollyoaks.
Best Entertainment Performance: Ant and Dec - Pop Idol, John Bird and John Fortune - Bremner, Bird and Fortune, Paul Merton - Have I Got News For You, Graham Norton - So Graham Norton.
Best Comedy: Kathy Burke - Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Ricky Gervais - The Office, Robert Lindsay - My Family, Joanna Lumley - Absolutely Fabulous.




Will and Gareth to go on joint tour(Ananova)

Will Young and Gareth Gates have announced plans for a joint tour.
It will start in October with 16-year-old fellow Pop Idol finalist Zoe Birkett in support.
The tour will kick off with two dates at London Arena on October 3 and 4.
Will told dotmusic.com: "It's going to be great. We've already played to a quarter of a million people this year and it'll
be half a million after the tour."
The full dates are reportedly as follows:
October 3 and 4 - London Arena
October 7 and 8 - Wembley Arena, London
October 12 and 13 - Sheffield Arena
October 16 and17 - Nottingham Arena
October 18 - Manchester Evening News Arena
October 21 and 22 - Birmingham NEC
October 25 - Newcastle Arena
October 28 and 29 - Glasgow SEC
It is not yet known when tickets will go on sale for the tour



Radio 1 launches its summer gig line-up,Fri 19th April,Ananova

Radio 1 has launched its summer schedule of outdoor gigs.
The four One Big Sundays will be headlined by Will Young, Gareth Gates, Blue, Mis-teeq and Kosheen.The first festival takes place in Swansea on June 16.
It will be followed by events in Manchester on July 14, Falkirk on August 11 - yet to be confirmed - and Leicester on September 8.
Which acts play at which dates has not yet been announced.
The station is also planning three one-off dance events, featuring Pete Tong, Judge Jules, Seb Fontaine and Dave Pearce, on June 21, July 20 and August 18 in city centre locations to be announced.
Radio 1 will be hosting dance tents at Ozzfest, Homelands, Glastonbury, London's Mardi Gras, T In The Park, Reading and Leeds festivals and Creamfields.
Its One Live week will take place on October 24 to 30 in an as-yet-undisclosed city in the UK.This year's DJs will include Jo Whiley, Fabio and Grooverider, Trevor Nelson, Steve Lamacq, Mary Anne Hobbs, John Peel and Gilles Peterson.


Pop Idol trio earn £3m for new tour - Sat 20th April 02,The Sun

POP Idols WILL YOUNG, GARETH GATES and ZOE BIRKETT are to make £1million EACH from their own joint UK shows.
The trio are about to join music’s big earners after announcing a 14-date tour called Will and Gareth.
It means they are set to make a fortune from merchandise and record sales on top of earnings from tickets.
Zoe, who came fourth on the TV show and who will support the lads on stage, is yet to release a record — though already she
looks like becoming a huge star.
But one mystery puzzling Pop Idol fans is: “What the hell happened to DARIUS?”
Despite coming third in the ITV show, he was not even considered for the line-up.
Will and Gareth are signed to SIMON COWELL’s BMG label and Zoe is expected to follow soon.
But Darius has not been taken on by TV’s Mr Nasty, leading many to suggest that is why he is not on the bill.
To celebrate the tour — which kicks off at the London Arena on October 3 — the trio yesterday held a surprise 45-minute gig
in Covent Garden, central London.
Hundreds of office workers and tourists who were in the famous piazza at 1pm were stunned to see the Pop Idols perform nine
big band numbers — including Get Happy, Mack The Knife and Let’s Face The Music And Dance.
In an exclusive interview just minutes before going on stage yesterday, Will told The Sun: “We’ve only just finished the full
Pop Idol tour, which was great.
“But this will be just the three of us, so it will be extra special.
“Zoe was brought in for the tour because she received such a great reception last time. There was no clique on the road but
Gareth, Zoe and I got on that bit better.
“Nothing against any of the others, but we work great together. There wasn’t an inner circle. There are people you get on
better with but there was no clique.
“It would be great to release a song as a trio but the problem is we’d all be fighting for the microphone.
“We don’t think about the money we’ll earn. We just love to perform.”
Zoe added: “I love working with these guys. We are such good friends and it’s great being on stage with them. I enjoy being
the only girl. I get treated like royalty and have a dressing room to myself.”
A music industry insider added: “Considering they were complete unknowns a year ago, they have already earned a fortune.”

THE Will Gareth tour dates are October 3/4 – London Arena. October 7/8 - Wembley Arena. October 12/13 – Sheffield Arena. October
16/17 – Nottingham Arena. October 18 – Manchester Evening News Arena. October 21/22 – Birmingham NEC. October 25 – Newcastle
Telewest Arena. October 28/29 – Glasgow SECC.



Will Young performs at Baftas,Ananova,Sun 21st April
Will Young has surprised guests at the Bafta TV awards by performing his hit single Evergreen.
He sang alone on the stage wearing a dark suit.
The Pop Idol winner was the only performance at the ceremony.
The team behind the ITV show were presented with the award for best entertainment show by Gary Lucy and Devina McCall.





ITV1 to screen final Pop Idol live concert-Ananova
The final date of the recent Pop Idol UK tour is to be shown on TV.
Songs include Will Young and Gareth Gates' number one singles and Darius Danesh singing It's Not Unusual.
It will be screened on ITV1 on Saturday at 5.40pm.
The show took place at London Arena on April 6 in aid of the Prince's Trust.
It finishes with all 10 finalists singing Frank Sinatra's My Way.
Ant and Dec will present the 90-minute show.
The songs to be shown on the ITV broadcast include:
Darius Danesh - It's Not Unusual (Tom Jones), Let There Be Love (Nat King Cole)
Hayley Evetts - Made For Loving You (Anastacia)
Jessica Garlick - Papa Don't Preach (Madonna)
Korben - Freedom (Wham!)
Zoe Birkett - Say A Little Prayer (Dionne Warwick/Aretha Franklin), Get Happy (Judy Garland)
Will Young - Light My Fire (The Doors), Evergreen, Beyond The Sea (Bobby Darin)
Gareth Gates - Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers), Mack The Knife (Frank Sinatra/Bobby Darin)
Rosie Ribbons - Everything I Do (Bryan Adams)
Aaron Bailey - Walking In Memphis (Cher)
Laura Doherty - Son Of A Preacher Man (Dusty Springfield)
Zoe & Gareth duets - Whenever You Call (Mariah Carey), Look At Me Now (Frank Sinatra & Connie Haines)
All 10 - Frank Sinatra (My Way).


It's Ant 'n Dec v Will,Bizzare Column,The Sun,Thurs 25th April

IT’S the World Cup battle that will have everyone on the edge of their seats.
But forget England v Argentina — the big one is between Pop Idol hosts ANT McPARTLIN and DECLAN DONNELLY who are up against the show’s winner WILL YOUNG.
The TV duo will go head-to-head with Will when both release new singles on May 27 — four days before the first match of the World Cup kicks off.
In the Sony Records team are Ant and Dec, with their official England World Cup theme We’re On The Ball — a re-working of an old Arsenal song.
Playing for BMG Records is Will with his version of the DOORS classic Light My Fire.
It has nothing to do with the World Cup but is expected to provide stiff competition in the charts after the enormous success of his debut single Anything Is Possible/Evergreen.
A record industry insider said: “This is going to be a massive battle, with the popularity of Will going up against that of the presenters who helped make him.
“Everyone is going to want to have a copy of the England World Cup song but Will has a huge fan-base and his last song smashed all sorts of records.”
Ant and Dec will officially unveil their FA-approved song, which features running commentary by BBC legend JOHN MOTSON, at a Press conference today.
Ant and Dec recorded the song two months ago but it has only just been rubber-stamped as the England theme.
A Sony spokesman said: “We are certain it will become a classic football song. It is perfect for radio and will have everyone dancing at their barbecues.
“We chose Ant and Dec because they are quite simply the hottest entertainers around.”
Apart from Will, the duo also face stiff competition from a load more footie fans bringing out unofficial anthems.
FAT LES, who had a 1998 World Cup hit with Vindaloo, have recorded the tune Who Invented Fish & Chips?
And BELL & SPURLING are re-releasing the Sven Song, with the B-side Golden Balls about Beckham.
Even BUBBLE and DEAN from Big Brother have had a go at a World Cup tune.




POP Idol Will Young is the latest celebrity to discover God-24/7 Column-The Sunday Mirror
The gay singer has been attending the Holy Trinity Brompton Anglican church in London's Knightsbridge.
The church teaches the Alpha course of Christianity and is favoured by Geri Halliwell and former Page 3 girl Sam Fox. Will, 23, attends the Sunday morning services with a female friend.
Will's new-found faith has been encouraged by deeply religious pal Gareth Gates, who is a member of the Abundant Life Church in Bradford.
According to the Alpha website, members listen to talks which ask questions such as "Who is Jesus?" and "Why do I pray?"


Pop idol Will's first love is Leo lookalike-News Of The World

A LEONARDO DiCaprio lookalike broke Will Young's heart when he told the besotted Pop Idol: "Sorry, my friend, I'm not gay."

Will, then just 19, had fallen for gorgeous Adam Jones—nicknamed Little Leo because of his likeness to the Titanic heart-throb—while
they shared a student flat in Exeter.
They grew closer as they spent time pursuing their common love of the stage at Exeter University's Footlights club.
For months Will hid his true feelings from drama student Adam, who knew his flatmate was gay.
A friend said: "Will grew more and more depressed about his feelings for Adam. Bottling it up for so long made things worse
and worse.
Straight
"After six months Will took Adam aside and told him how he felt, but Adam just couldn't handle it. He told Will he was not
attracted to men—he was straight.
"Will was really upset. It was as if Adam had broken his heart by rejecting him."
Within days Will had moved out of the £54-a-week flat which he and Adam shared with three girls.
The friend said: "Will felt it was best if he left. It was typical of Will, he wouldn't want to cause any further upset. It
took everyone by surprise when it emerged he had a massive crush on Adam.
"Adam was adored by every girl who knew him. He was young, handsome, intelligent and funny. He was everything any girl would
want."
After winning Pop Idol and having a huge hit with his first single Evergreen, Will, 23, chose to go public about his sexuality
exclusively to the News of the World.
But his friends had known he was gay for years. While he was studying politics at Exeter he confided to a close female friend
that he'd experienced homosexual feelings from the age of 12. He also revealed that he had bedded a girl while he was at sixth-form
college—and deeply regretted it.
"Never, not once, had he given any indication through his behaviour that he was homosexual," added the friend.
"He just came out with it and took us totally by surprise. It was a very emotional time for us all, especially Will. He has
an amazing sense of pride and dignity and I think it took a considerable amount of courage to come out.
"We all vowed to treat him no differently and none of us ever did. No one wanted to see him harmed."
News that Will was gay spread through the Exeter campus—upsetting many of the girls. The friend said: "In reality he
broke
a few girls' hearts. They all loved him to bits.
"Coming out didn't change Will a bit and our attitude towards him never altered either. He excelled at sport and was extremely
good at running and rugby."
But it was his off-the-field student antics that he will be remembered for.
"Whenever there was a drink to be had Will was always there," added his pal. "He was a real live-wire. One time we were playing
rugby near a river and lost the ball in the water. Next thing Will was stripping off and jumping in to get it.
Warmth
"He was mad like that, always very impulsive. From day one at Exeter he was a hit with everyone. He wasn't the most astute
student, but his personality and his warmth made people love him instantly.
"And he would have us all mesmerised with his voice."
Will also knew how to laugh at himself—even dressing up in drag for a university ball.
The friend said: "Everyone got dressed up but Will went for it—big style. He wore a sarong and a sleeveless silver number.

"But the truth is he was one of the worst drag queens ever. Will just doesn't know how to camp things up."





Gay website suggests boyfriend for Will Young-Ananova
Visitors to a gay website have suggested a new boyfriend for Will Young.
The online poll nominated Holby City actor David Paisley as Will's ideal partner, with 38% of the votes.
Paisley plays gay nurse Ben.
Runners-up in the poll included actor Jeremy Sheffield, who plays Dr Alex Adams in Holby City, with 24% and Boyzone singer Stephen Gately who followed with 13%.
Other suitors suggested by RainbowNetwork.com included Crossroads actor Toby Sawyer, fellow Pop Idol contestant Korben and SM:tv presenter Brian Dowling.



Web chatroom appeals could provide Milly clues-Ananova-29/4/02
Detectives believe teenagers using internet chatrooms could provide a breakthrough in the search for missing Amanda Dowler.
Surrey Police say the websites have agreed to place pop-up messages appealing for information about the disappearance of the
13-year-old, who chatted on-line on her home computer.
The messages are now appearing on a number of chatrooms used by Amanda, known as Milly.
They include ones dedicated to pop music she listened to and one devoted to Pop Idol Will Young, her favourite pop star.
Superintendent Alan Sharp said: "We want to hear from anyone who communicated with Milly in chatrooms or has any information
that will help."
The message will pop up as soon as somebody new enters the chatroom and then every 20 minutes during the chat conversation
from early afternoon to 10pm.
Milly vanished while walking home from the train station in Walton-on-Thames on March 21.
A police spokeswoman said: "It is likely that there are still things we don't know about Milly and we are encouraging people
to come forward, anonymously if necessary."
Teenagers with information are being urged to contact police on 01372 471212 or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800
555 111.
Meanwhile, detectives are still awaiting results from forensic tests of a purse similar to Milly's which was found by a member
of the public

Jessica Garlick says she's grown to love her surname-Ananova

Jessica Garlick says she's grown to love her surname over the years because 'it's so unusual.'
But she says she was teased at school about it.
The Pop Idol singer is representing Britain in this year's Eurovision Song Contest which takes place in Estonia on May 25.
She told OK! magazine: "Though I did get hassled about it at school, it has never really bothered me that much and, over the
years, I have grown to love it as it's so unusual."
And she says Will Young has been giving her advice on coping with fame game.
"We talk a lot, especially now I'm promoting my first single and with Eurovision coming up. He is definitely the person I
turn to for advice. I also became close to his family after I was eliminated from Pop Idol - they are lovely."

Will is all fired up-The Sun - Mon 6th May 02
WILL YOUNG has spoken for the first time about Light My Fire going up against ANT & DEC’s England World Cup song in the charts
– and he is not impressed.
He told me: “I find it impossible to believe that they are releasing a song linked to football.
“Having seen their atrocious football skills the phrase two left feet comes to mind.
"Still, let the battle commence when the songs come out on May 27.”

Will Young in the Park-Official Site-Wed 8th May

Will Young will join the all-star line-up in Hyde Park on Sunday,15th September for the popular CBBC Prom in the Park .CBBC's Fearne Cotton and Blue Peter's Simon Thomas host event.The gates open at 12.30pm and the afternoon 's entertainment is from 2.00pm.

The concert will be broadcast live on the CBBC Digital Channel and highlights will appear later on CBBC.

Tickets are available online via the website www.bbc.co.uk/proms or by phone on 0870 899 8001 (24 hours,bkg fee).£11.00 (adults),£7 (children3-16,under 3's free).

Will Webchat,Official Webbie,WED 8TH May

Will has just been confirmed for a webchat with Top of The Pops this Thursday evening at 6pm. Will is at Top of The Pops to record an acoustic version of 'Light My Fire' which will be broadcast on Top of The Pops this Friday.

Will will sing live backed by a 5 piece string section, acoustic bass, acoustic guitar and percussion. Don't miss the chance to chat live with Will. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/totp to submit your questions now and then return on Thursday at 6pm to take part in the live chat.









Transcript of Will Interview with Chris Moyles!(Old Interview-Feb 2002)

Will Young, one of the 2 Pop Idol finalists stopped off on his tour of the country to drum up support for his campaign...
and ended up nicking Lara Croft from the offices of Radio 1!
Before that though, Chris started off by asking how Will was feeling in the run up to the big final...
"Are you very excited?"
"I am." replies Will. "As you can probably see, it's a bit strange coming into the studio and meeting you... I've done so
many things over the last few days that I've watched or listened to and now I'm actually there!"
"We phoned you on the air..."
"We were listening to it! And I got a really nice message from Lizzie!"
"We said if you know any of their phone numbers, give us a call, and we got a load of fake phone numbers, but we knew we'd
got yours when we heard your voice on the answerphone!"
"You know what I was doing when you rang? I was getting rid of my message and on the other line you were ringing in, while
I was trying to erase the message!"
"Would you have answered it?" asks Moyles. "Cos we thought your goons would have got to you and gone 'Don't speak to him,
he's the anti-christ!'"
"Actually, they said 'If you want to answer it, answer it', but I was a bit scared. So I thought I'd just let it ring."

then Chris starts a conversation which ends up in him losing something from the office...
"You were telling me about how you and Gareth did this thing where you nick things?"
"Yeah, it's brilliant... we've got a competition going. We've got to find the best free blag... any famous autographs you
can lend us?" asks Will.
"We've got those free Aeros that we got sent the other day" chips in Dave.
"That's not cool" shouts Chris, "...there's that life size Lara Croft model that we got."
And Will adds that to his "nicked" list - as you can see him here, making off with it, onto his bus at the end of the interview!


Then Moyles gets down to the money (and the Porsche Boxter) as always...
"Do you get expenses for appearing on the show?"
"Yeah, we get expenses but the thing is - I haven't spent any money. The only money I spend is on Saturday night if I go out
with my friends afterwards. So at least my overdraft's gone down a bit."
"You can't go to the pub and just have a drink" asks Chris in disbelief...
"Yeah - we had the afternoon off on Sunday. It was the first one we'd had off for 2 weeks."
"Do you get mobbed?"
"You know what? It was alright, it wasn't bad. You just do a few, but they all say nice things, I think that's the good thing
about the show - people are so involved in it."

With a round of Karaoke coming up, Chris asks about the plush hotel the Pop Idols have all been hidden away at for the last
few months, and tries to find out what it's like.
"Have you got a kitchen in there?"
"Got a kitchen, sitting room..."
"Who was the best cook who was in there?"
"I think Darius actually. He is a very good cook. He takes it very seriously."
"He takes everything very seriously though, doesn't he!" says Chris.
"He's a big thinker. He's a very intelligent guy. He's so ambitious, I have absolutely no doubts that he's going to do well."
Dave agrees: "I think he's done fantastically well bearing in mind he was this joke character after Popstars, and he's rebuilt
himself, and come through this and into the last three... well done to him!"
And after a bit of Stars In Their Eyes Karaoke, Will picks up Lara Croft and is off to his battle bus and is away! Will Will
win? It's your choice!





WAR OF WORDS-DAILY STAR-16/5/02
CHEEKY Will Young declares war on chart rivals Ant and Dec-with his t-shirt.They release new singles on the same day,May 27th.And
Let's Get Ready to Rumble is something the duo might prefer to forget.It was the name of their dire,toe curling single as
tv Byker Grove teen stars,PJ and Duncan several years ago.



Will has his last fag-News Of The World-19/5/02

POP IDOL winner Will Young has teamed up with me in a joint bid to quit smoking—and we want News of the World readers
to help
us.
Will has been inhaling the deadly weed for three years but now says: "I've decided enough is enough. It's a filthy habit."

I've been puffing away for around 10 years and have been known to smoke up to 40 at showbiz dos. But I'm fed up of sounding
like an old man coughing in the morning.
Now here's where YOU come in.

Will says: "If any News of the World readers catch me doing it, I'll make a donation to the British Lung Foundation."

I'll do the same if any of you catch me at it—smoking that, is—when I'm out in London.
Will, whose new single—appropriately titled Light My Fire—is out on May 27, is also reading a book about quitting.

I'm going for a quicker solution. I've asked hypnotist king Paul McKenna to give me a fighting trance. Watch this space...






Will on TV, on air and in the press-Official Website

Look out for Will appearing on the following over the next couple of weeks.
22nd May Radio 1 - Moyles Live Lounge
22nd May GMTV film piece from Video
23rd May GMTV 2nd part
24th May GMTV 3rd part plus interview
25th May CDUK perf.
25th May Daily Mail Weekend feature
26th May T4 performance
26th May Sunday Times Review interview
27th May Time Out Cover
27th May This Morning video piece
27th May Heat Front Cover
28th May This Morning performance
30th May The Kelly Show (Ireland) perf.
30th May Pepsi Chart TV
1st June smtv & CD:UK interview and perf.
1st June Brain Connolly perf. and chat
3rd June Jubilee performance
All of the above will, of course, should not be missed but watch out for the GMTV 3 day special which includes more footage from the video shoot and also the Live Lounge on Radio 1 which should be amazing.
Will has also answered some of your questions in the message board. Check out the Listen to Will area


Will at Novello’s – an awards ceremony for songwriters, The Sun,Fri 24th May!
Ciggy break ...... Pop Idol Will Young was spotted having a sly fag with three-times winner Cathy Dennis. Meanwhile Will was
keeping tight-lipped about his work with CATHY DENNIS who is writing a duet for him with a mystery singer. Will said: “I’m
not saying anything. It’s Cathy’s day.” His manager Simon Fuller was so protective of Will he insisted on accompanying him
to the toilets so reporters couldn’t pester him.


Big Brother housemates talk about Pop Idol-Ananova,Sun 26th May

The Big Brother housemates have spent breakfast time discussing Pop Idol.
First of all they talked about playing their won version of Pop Idol, with Alison declaring she wanted to be Simon Cowell.
The conversation then turned to which of the Pop Idol contestants the housemates liked. PJ and Jade both said they liked Darius.
But Kate wasn't so keen and described him as an "idiot!" Kate said her favourite was Will who she thought was "an absolute gorgeous babe".
Alex then serenaded the rest of the group with his own rendition of Light My Fire.





Will Young wants to 'change the world through pop'
Will Young has been painted gold for a photo shoot in this week's Time Out


The singer outlines his career predictions, philosophies and fears inside the magazine.
Will also reveals he admires Socrates and Plato.
And he says he feels a responsibility to "make positive changes through mass pop culture."
Will tells Time Out: "Through mass pop culture, you can make positive changes. I know this makes me sound like a campaigner
for goodness and goodwill. But why am I here?


I don't know where I got my voice from, although I had a great uncle who was a baritone. But you have to look beyond it and
see what you're responsibilities are."
His new single is a cover version of Light My Fire which is out this week.
Extracts and photos taken from this weeks Bank Holiday issue of Time Out magazine - out Wednesday May 29 © Time Out Group.




Will and Fanni,Will's Official Site,Tues 28th May 02

Today's Daily Telegraph features an interview with Fanni Bostrom, female star of Will's stunning 'Light My Fire' video. The article describes the video as one that is "set to be the best pop video of 2002".
The video was inspired by Warhol's 1972 movie, Ciao Manhattan. The article quotes Baillie Walsh, the director of the video. Baille describes how he hadn't planned to 'get a look a like Edie Sedgewick (the muse in Warhol's film)' but how he wanted 'a girl who had what Edie had - fantastic charisma. Because her and Simon were a couple, the chemistry was already there.'
Fanni says 'Meeting Will was lovely. We became great friends. He's very humble and polite, and good fun. The worst part of the video was when Simon fell over during a piggyback race and got a black eye.'
Will was also clearly delighted with how things went saying "Fanni is wonderful. It was quite scary seeing how similar she looked to Edie. By the end of the first day everyone was even calling her Edie."


Will Young single expected to debut at the top spot, Tues 28th May 02,www.ananova.com

Will Young's new single should debut at the top of the charts this Sunday, according to an HMV spokesman.
His cover of The Doors' Light My Fire should displace Eminem's Without Me.
Ant and Dec's official World Cup anthem We're On The Ball is expected to enter the charts at number three.
The Sex Pistols re-released God Save the Queen should also be a contender for the top 10 in this Jubilee week.
HMV 's chart expert Gennaro Castaldo told BBC News this was a "potentially huge week for the singles chart".
He added: "Our confident expectation is that Will Young will sell around 200,000 singles to comfortably go straight in at
number one and take over from Eminem.
"Ant and Dec's We're on the Ball should make the top three, and of the other football releases DJ Otzi's re-release of Hey
Baby probably has the best chance of chart success.
"The Sex Pistols re-release of God Save the Queen will be difficult to call given nobody really knows who their fanbase is
likely to be - it might just sneak into the top 10."



SUN ARTICLE-SAT 1ST JUNE
Will aims to party just like Beckham
WILL YOUNG reckons he is music’s answer to David Beckham and plans to lift the nation just like the England skipper.
The Pop Idol agrees with Becks’ rallying cry of “Let’s party” and said: “This weekend is going to be the biggest knees-up
in history.”
Will is on the bill for Monday’s Golden Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace and is determined to make sure things go off
with a bang.
The country is already on a high after Goldenballs Beckham announced he is fit to play against Sweden in the World Cup tomorrow.
And Will, who is a dead cert to notch up his second No1 single tomorrow with his cover of Light My Fire, plans to add to the
party spirit the following day.
Phoning from pre-concert rehearsals, he told me: “Beckham’s right. This is going to be a great weekend and people should definitely
get involved.
“There is already a feeling of excitement around the country with the World Cup starting and I hope to add to that.”
Will is just as nervous about performing in front of his music heroes as he is of shaking hands with royalty.
He said: “I walked into rehearsals and there was Phil Collins with his drum kit. You can’t ask for more than that.
“I am very excited but I’m also very nervous – more than I have ever been before.
“It’s amazing to think that this time last year I was doing my university exams and now I’m singing in front of millions of
people, not to mention the Queen.
“Although I’ve not got any revision to do, I’ve still got to remember my lines.
“The Royal Family are great and we should all get into the spirit of things this long weekend.”


ANANOVA ARTICLE
Will Young fails to top Irish singles chart,Sun 2nd June
Will Young has failed to top the Irish singles chart for a second time.
His cover version of The Doors' Light My Fire only debuted at number five this week.
Eminem's Without Me held the top spot for a second week.
Will's first single, Evergreen, is the fastest selling UK single of all time.
He is hot favourite to debut at the top of the UK singles chart on Sunday.

ANANOVA ARTICLE-SUN 2ND JUNE
Will beats Ant and Dec to No1
The second single by Will Young has entered the charts at number one.
It beat Ant and Dec's World Cup song, We're on the Ball, into third slot.
Will took the number one spot with his cover version of The Doors' song Light My Fire, pushing Without Me by Eminem, into
second place.
Other football songs which entered the charts as England began their World Cup campaign included DJ Otzi's Hey Baby which
went in at number 10.
Goldenballs (Mr Beckham to You) by Bell and Spurling, and Go England by the England Boys went in at numbers 25 and 26 respectively.


Golden Jubilee concerts go to DVD-ANANOVA.COM

The Queen's Golden Jubilee concerts are to be released on DVD.

The Prom At The Palace and Party At The Palace will be available in the first week of July.

BBC Worldwide will donate proceeds from the Jubilee concert DVDs to The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Trust.

The Party At The Palace will be broadcast in the US on VH1 at 9pm on June 9.

Featured artists included chart stars such as Atomic Kitten, Blue, The Corrs, Mis-Teeq, Ricky Martin, S Club 7, and Will Young.

Rock and pop veterans such as Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Queen and Rod Stewart also appeared.





Will Young, Gareth Gates and Elton John to perform for Sport Relief (Ananova) 17th June


Will Young, Gareth Gates and Elton John are to perform on BBC1 for a one-off show in aid of Sport Relief.
It will be hosted by Gary Lineker, Ulrika Jonsson and Jamie Theakston on Saturday July 13.
There will also be music from Alessandro Safina and appearances from an array of sporting personalities.
Safina's re-recording of the Elton John classic Your Song is the official Sport Relief single.
The night of Sport Relief will raise money for vulnerable children and young people in the UK and across the world.
More information about the campaign can be found at www.sportrelief.com.





Will and Gareth to cover Beatles classic(Ananova)-19th June

Will Young and Gareth Gates are to record a duet.... possibly!
It has been speculated that they will team up for a version of The Beatles' Long And Winding Road.
But they're both so busy they will have to film each of their parts of the video separately and it will be edited together.
A spokesman has said that Will and Gareth wanted to duet on You Are The Sunshine Of My Life or Try A Little Tenderness but both songs were considered "too smoochy".
The single is due to be released later in the year.





100,000 out for Hyde Park pop concert-Ananova-7th July 2002

Grey skies failed to dampen spirits of thousands of music fans as they turned out to watch some of the biggest names in pop at this year's Party In The Park.
Around 100,000 people packed London's Hyde Park for Europe's biggest one day pop extravaganza.
Pop Idol Will Young, Atomic Kitten, Wyclef Jean and Shaggy were among the big names entertaining the crowds at the annual event in aid of the Prince's Trust.

The heavens opened as boy band Blue made a spectacular entrance, abseiling on to the stage to perform their No 1 single All Rise.
But the skies soon cleared and the sell-out crowd were singing along to some of the biggest chart hits of the past year.
Atomic Kitten's, Natasha Hamilton gave her last performance at the concert before the birth of her son.
The heavily-pregnant star is due in six weeks and the girl band dedicated their hit song Whole Again to her unborn baby, who she has already named Josh.
Last year the group, who are ambassadors for the Prince's Trust, got the Prince of Wales dancing away in the Royal Box.
The Prince is due to attend the event, sponsored by radio station Capital FM, which last year raised £1 million for his charity.
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams is the headline act at the event and the bill includes Natalie Imbruglia, Popstars reject Liberty X, Mis-Teeq and the Lighthouse Family.




The Sun-8th July 2002

ATOMIC KITTEN suffered an identíty crisis at yesterday’s Party In The Park when bungling security guards wouldn’t
let them
on stage.

It wasn’t until fellow performer WILL YOUNG pointed out who the chart-toppers were that the stewards finally relented.


And it wasn’t the only boob of the afternoon. Kitten JENNY FROST wowed the huge crowd for the wrong reasons when her
nipple
popped out during the girl band’s performance.

The afternoon had started badly for Jenny, NATASHA HAMILTON and LIZ McCLARNON. They arrived late for the Capital FM party
in London’s Hyde Park and had to quickly change before dashing towards the stage.

But 100,000 fans in the audience were left staring at an empty space for five minutes while the girls were refused access.


Pop Idol Will who had just finished his slot, told the stewards: “This is Atomic Kitten. They’re probably bigger
pop stars
than me and they’re supposed to be on now. I think you’d better let them through.”

The guards finally let the girls on to play a string of hits, including Whole Again and It’s OK.

After the show, which raises money for the Prince’s Trust, heavily-pregnant Natasha said: “We were rushing around
a bit and
made a quick dash from our changing room to the stage.

“It was only when we tried to bound on that we were stopped in our tracks. They didn’t have a clue who we were.


“I think they thought we were over-zealous fans trying to storm the stage. Luckily Will saved the day.”

During the girls’ raunchy show, Jenny’s nipple was on view for some time before she popped it back in place. She
said later:
“It’s quite embarrassing but I suppose these things happen.”




Daily Star-16/7/02
Will Young has played at the home of Prince Charles, I can reveal. The singer performed at Highgrove in front of Prince William, Prince Harry and the heir to the throne. The three princes were joined by 200 VIP guests including Camilla PB for the hush-hush bash. The secret show was in aid of British Forces Foundation and Will performed after dinner for the select crowd. But William and Harry skipped the posh feed and just came to watch the Pop Idol star. Rather than play his hits Will followed in the footsteps of Robbie Williams by performing old-time swing numbers with a military band.The invitation for the exclusive concert on June 28th stunned singer Will especially as he was the only musical performer at the lavish bash.A pal of Will's confessed " It was a real honour for Will to perform. He felt privileged just to be asked and the concert was a real delight. To be honest though , he hasn't really spoken too much about it since he performed. That's because he felt it was right to keep the gig as private as possible" Will's prestigous invitation came after he was rumoured to have made a huge impact on Charles at the Jubilee concert. The top secret gig shows just how far Will has come since winning Pop Idol. He has so far notched up two No1 hits and now he has Royal approval."


A Message From Will-Offish site- Tues 23rd July 02

"I have been working really hard since Pop Idol and it¹s great to know that I have fans who are as passionate about what I do, as I am!
I want to reassure them that I am very happy and that they needn't worry. I appreciate their concerns, but the plans for my career are very exciting and I can't wait to release the album.
Gareth and I are genuinely good friends and enjoy all sorts of music, but our styles are very different. The duet which we are releasing on Sept 23rd sounds fantastic! After the great response we got to it on the show and as a thank you to all our fans, we felt it would be a great track to celebrate a great year. After this, both Gareth and I will move on and take the very different routes of music we both want to follow.
Since Pop Idol, I have wanted to spend as much time as possible writing and co-writing with some great singers/song writers in the studio, rather than recording new tracks for immediate release, which will hopefully mean that my first album will be as good as it possibly can be, and will get a great response.
On the album there will be plenty of original, self written and co-written material. I know there's a huge demand from my fans to hear some original Will songs, which is hugely flattering, and I am as keen to get them released as you are! I just want to make sure that when I do release them, I am really proud of them.
Thank you to every fan who has taken the time and interest in my career to contact The Sun and please believe me when I say that I am extremely happy with how things are going and everything my new job has brought with it. Your emails and comments mean a great deal to me and have given me the motivation to go back into the studio and work even harder on the album so that you're not disappointed! Fingers crossed!
Take care,­ Will"





Pop Idol winners to take part in World Idol-Ananova-27th July

Will Young looks set to take part in a special edition of Pop Idol involving winners from different countries competing against
each other.
Will's manager Simon Fuller, who came up with the idea for Pop Idol, says he's planning to launch World Idol.
He hopes the show will have enable viewers from around the world to vote for their favourite.
"We'll work the voting system so that the population of the country will be fair and proportional to the votes the contestants
receive," Fuller tells Billboard.
Pop Idol has already been a huge hit in the UK, Poland, and South Africa.
The show will expand to Germany and France by the end of the year says Fuller.


Long and Winding Road Details- Wed 14th Aug 02,Offish Site

As previously announced Will and Gareth will release the duet The Long and Winding Road/ Suspicious Minds on 23rd Sept.

Fresh from their record breaking solo releases, the UK's brightest young solo artists have joined forces to record a track
together which will be released as part of a Double A side on September 23rd.

In celebration of the phenomenal year that both artists have had and due to the massive public response to their rendition
of The Beatles hit, "The Long and Winding Road" on ITV¹s Pop Idol, this release is sure to be one of this years most
eagerly
anticipated hits.

Penned by Paul Mc Cartney and John Lennon in 1970, The Long and Winding Road was The Beatles last US release and their 20th
No 1 hit but was never released as a single in the UK. Now, Will and Gareth will introduce their own version of this classic
track to a new generation of fans with a unique video shot in just ONE take with a completely live vocal!

"It is a real honour to cover a Beatles track ­ I have always been a big fan of theirs. After the brilliant response we
got
to it on the show and as a thank you to all our fans, we felt it would be a great track to celebrate a great year. After this,
both Gareth and I will move on and take the different routes of music we both wish to follow." says Will.

The track will be a Double A side, featuring Gareth on Suspicious Minds, the soundtrack for the forthcoming Disney animation
Lilo and Stitch.

Will added; "Although I was invited to join Gareth to duet on Suspicious Minds, I was uncomfortable with the track and suggested
he did it solo as it suits his voice well. It sounds fantastic and I hope both tracks go down equally well."

Will's rendition of "I Get The Sweetest Feeling" will feature as an additional track on the single

Darius says Pop Idol songs were fixed for Gareth- Thurs 15th Aug02,The Sun

Darius Danesh says Pop Idol was biased in favour of Gareth Gates over Will Young.
He claims the tracks Evergreen and Anything Is Possible were chosen to suit Gareth's voice.
Darius says Will even asked for them to be rearranged to give him a better chance.
He told The Sun: "We all recorded Evergreen and Anything Is Possible for the final. I did them too but they weren't even in
my vocal range.
"They were written for Gareth's voice and Will was unhappy with that.
"Will asked Simon Cowell if he could have them rearranged into keys we could all sing and Simon just brushed him off.
"It was clear at the time Simon backed Gareth. He said it publicly afterwards and so I didn't find it surprising."

Celebs help build world's largest global sculpture- Thurs 15th Aug02,Ananova

Celebrities including Big Brother's Jade, Chris Evans and Will Young are helping to create the world's largest global sculpture.
They have all chosen a shape to add to the internet sculpture at www.iconobloc.com.
According to psychologists, the shape people choose can reveal their true personality.


IT'S WILL BUNG!-Fri 23rd Aug02-The Sun

POP Idol winner WILL YOUNG’s next single is self-penned – and he is giving away all the profits to charity.

The jazzy ballad Don’t Let Me Down has been chosen as the theme for this year’s Children In Need.

It is his first original track after cover versions of Evergreen, Anything Is Possible, Light My Fire and THE BEATLES’ Long And Winding Road, which he sang as a duet with runner-up GARETH GATES.

The millions the new single will inevitably make will be given straight to the charity after its release in November.

Will follows in the footsteps of S CLUB 7, who topped the charts with Never Had A Dream Come True and Have You Ever, MARTINE McCUTCHEON, DENISE VAN OUTEN and JOHNNY VAUGHAN in raising a fortune for the charity.

The song will be performed by Will at the Children In Need telethon on November 15.

He co-wrote the track with songwriters Richard Stannard and Julian Gallagher — and told his bosses that he was opposed to recording another cover version.

Will told The Sun: “I want to release my very first original track at a very special time.

“I have chosen to do this for Children In Need as I know there is a huge demand for the single, so hopefully I will be able to raise as much money as possible for such a good cause.

Since Pop Idol, I have wanted to spend as much time as possible writing and co-writing with some great singers/songwriters in the studio, rather than recording new tracks for immediate release.

“Hopefully it will mean that my first album will be as good as it possibly can be, and will get a great response.

“I know there’s a huge demand from my fans to hear some original Will songs, which is hugely flattering, and I am as keen to get them released as you are!

“I just want to make sure that when I do release them, I am really proud of them.

And a source close to Will added: “He is determined not to be pigeonholed as a karaoke cover version singer and that is why fans have had to wait for this song.

“It’s a laid back jazzy ballad and he was adamant that he wanted the money to go to charity.

“It should raise millions and he wants to give something back.”

The track will come out just six weeks after Will and Gareth’s Beatles duet is released.


Will to sing on U.S. Idol,The Sun,Wed 28th Aug02

WILL YOUNG will perform on the live final of the US version of Pop Idol — a huge boost as he tries to make it in America.
The UK Pop Idol winner will fly out to LA early next week to meet up and rehearse with the American hopefuls.
A spokesman for Will said: “This is a great move for him. It will be the first time America has seen and heard him live and the biggest audience Will has ever played to.
“American Idol is the hottest show on TV over there. It has an audience of up to 20million and for the final you can expect many more to tune in.
“This is the biggest showcase ever for Will. He’s going to be an even bigger star now.”
The winner will be decided on September 3 by a public vote and Will is set to appear on that show.
He will then join the last ten wannabes in the winners’ showcase programme the next day. Will has been added to the group as a special request of Fox, the broadcasting company behind American Idol.
He may even perform a duet with the eventual winner.
At the moment there are three finalists left fighting it out in the programme — Nikki McKibbin, Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson — and trying to impress judges nasty SIMON COWELL, singer PAULA ABDUL and Columbia Records chief RANDY JACKSON.
The winner, like Will, will get a global management deal with SIMON FULLER’s 19 Entertainment and a record deal with the BMG label.
The last ten contestants will also have the chance to be snapped up by BMG as Cowell will have the first refusal to guide their careers.
At last Will’s fans will be pacified after accusations of bias towards Gareth Gates.
Mind you, now Gareth fans will probably be accusing BMG bosses of the same thing.


High fidelity: Why the pop idols will never be rivals

By rights, Will Young and Gareth Gates should be snarling rivals, but the thrills and spills post Pop Idol have only made them better friends, finds Kate Thornton

You know you’ve made it when you turn the heads of the jaded crowd at Soho House. But when Will Young and Gareth Gates saunter into the bar, chatting animatedly, heads whip round, people stare unashamedly and a low buzz fills the room.
It’s the sort of response you’d only expect to be elicited by Charles and Camilla hand in hand; and it’s probably down to the fact that Young and Gates are consistently pitted against each other in the media. The Sun has been waging a Save Will campaign, following their A&R man Simon Cowell’s confession that he invests more time in Gates’s career.

In fact, pop’s odd couple are close friends. Even though we have met at the unearthly hour of 8am (the only time they could squeeze into their busy schedules), they have arrived early to catch up and discuss the events of the previous weekend, when Gates had been a guest at the Young family home in Hungerford. And you can’t help wondering if their decision to perform a duet together — they are here to promote their joint cover of The Long and Winding Road — is an attempt to lay the rivalry rumours to rest.

“That whole Sun campaign thing was quite flattering,” says Young. Gates, meanwhile, looks panic-stricken. “I felt really bad about all that. People are looking at me, thinking it’s something I’ve done, but it isn’t me at all,” he says, looking at Young worriedly.

They are the first to admit that, in any other circumstances, they probably would never have been friends. Their backgrounds, ages (Gates is 18, Young 23), musical tastes and education are completely different. Yet the unique situation into which they have been pitchforked has left them with a genuine camaraderie. For example, at times Gates’s stutter gets the better of him: “A combination of being tired and not having enough time with my speech coach,” he sighs. He travels with a pen and notepad, scribbles down key words to help him when his conversation stalls, apologising profusely and brimming with frustration. The temptation to finish his sentences for him should be irresistible, but Young knows the ropes and waits until he’s finished, smiling encouragingly.

Since the show came to an end in February, Gates and Young have become a pop powerhouse. Collectively, they have held the No1 slot for 12 weeks, even knocking Elvis Presley from the top of the charts. Young’s debut release, Evergreen, became the fastest-selling single of all time, and Gates’s cover of Unchained Melody outsold George Michael by 850,000 copies when they went head-to-head.

“I met George not long after that, and when he congratulated me I didn’t know what to say,” Gates says, looking guilty. “So I just sort of mumbled, ‘Yeah, sorry about that.’ But I really meant it,” he protests. “I mean, who would have thought I’d beat George Michael? They spent £1m on his video, and along comes the kid with his video filmed in a car park in Florida — and I get to No1, not him. That’s mad.”

Today, their schedule includes a writing session with the music legend Burt Bacharach (for Young) and a joint photo shoot with the fashion photographer Nick Knight for Vogue.

“Us? In Vogue? When they called, I was sure they’d made a mistake,” says Young, who is wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and has two-day stubble.

At present, he is house-hunting in Notting Hill, while Gates has moved into a £1,000-a-week rented apartment in Kensington. (“It’s well nice.”) It’s hard to believe that a year ago Young was waiting tables for £40 a day to finance his drama-school studies, and Gates was “just an average schoolboy”, living with his parents and six siblings in their Bradford semi.

“I knew the chances of me making it were slim, and without the show I never would have,” says Gates. “When I auditioned, my speech really worried me, because I knew they were looking for the whole package. But, in the end, it helped me stand out from the crowd. All my life it’s been such a negative for me, and for the first time it became a positive thing. That was nice.”

Young also set a precedent when, just weeks after his win, he came out as gay, seemingly unafraid of the possible repercussions for his career.

“I didn’t think it was that big a deal. I wasn’t scared. There are more important things that have happened to me,” he shrugs. “Maybe people like George Michael and Elton John have paved the way and made it a little easier for someone like me. My take on it was to just say it, get it out of the way and move on. I remember thinking at the time that, if my career plummeted as a result, then I didn’t want to be a part of it anyway. I would have gone and worked in a dog refuge or something.” So far, the gamble has paid off spectacularly.

Meanwhile, Gates has become the undisputed king of the teen pop market. “I do love being famous,” he says enthusiastically. “I love everything about it.” What, the screaming fans, the autograph hunters, the snide gossip in the tabloids? “Everything,” he says firmly. “I don’t want to waste a moment. I know it’s not going to last for ever.”

And Young? “I’m running for the hills ... ” he jokes. “Actually, I’m quite proud of the way I’ve handled it all. I really don’t feel famous. You can become paranoid about it, and some people actually start to look for it, you know, to check that people are looking at them. But I went out in Hampstead last night and not one person recognised me. People don’t recognise you as much as you’d think.”

Which is perhaps surprising, when you consider how little they have changed their appearance. Gates has held firmly onto his spiky hairdo — now the most requested haircut in Britain — and has had the last laugh, as it’s netted him a £1m contract with Wella Shockwaves. Young still sports his collection of natty hats. Among his retail weaknesses are “anything by Armani and John Smedley”, while Gates has developed a taste for Gucci shoes and tailor-made suits, and he’s still hanging on to the famous suit first worn by Robbie Williams in his Millennium video.

“Before Pop Idol, my smartest item of clothing was a gold Versace suit my parents bought me to wear on the show. It was really expensive — £800 — which was hard for them because my dad’s a postman and there was never much money spare,” says Gates, who plans to repay their kindness with a new house. Although he’s keen to point out that he’s not as flush as has been reported. “People think that we have millions. It said in the papers I was worth £2.5m, but I haven’t seen anything like that ... yet.”

“It takes so long for the money to come through,” explains Young. “We also have to invest a lot in ourselves.


We pay for half of our videos and recording costs, but I like that because it forces you to stay on top of the business. I mean, I actually read my record contract.”

“Did you?” asks Gates, incredulously. “My mum and dad read mine. I tried, but I was like, ‘Mum, what does clause 4.1a mean?’ That’s what the lawyers are for.”

They will both release albums later this year, and they plan to tour together in October, which means that their personal lives have been pushed onto the back burner.

“I really don’t have time for a relationship,” says Gates, who has been romantically linked with the 26-year-old Pop Idol finalist Hayley Evetts, and concedes that they are “very close”. “I’m single, but happily so,” chirps Young. With that, pop’s oddest couple finish their breakfasts, thank me politely, and saunter out, side by side, seemingly oblivious to the swivelling heads.




Will at TOTP Awards - Sat 14th September02-Offish

Will has just announced that he’ll be playing at this year’s Top Of The Pops Awards on 29th November at the Manchester
Evening
News Arena.

Will is among the first of 12 acts announced to perform at this year’s show, alongside Gareth Gates and Craig David.
There
will be 2 special collaborations that will be kept a closely guarded secret until the night, could Will be taking part?

The categories include Top Pop Act, Top Rock Act, Top Rn’B Act, Top Dance Act and Top Newcomer as well as Top Tour, Top
Album
and Top Single.

During the month of November the categories are voted for by the general public, readers of Top Of The Pops Magazine and by
visiting www.bbc.co.uk/totp. So be sure to remember to vote. The show will be shown on TV shortly after the live event.


Tickets go on sale today and you can get them now www.gigsandtours.com

Will flat out - Monday 23rd Sep02-The Sun

WILL YOUNG has splashed out £750,000 on an exclusive apartment to win back his privacy.

Pals say Will was getting so much attention from fans he decided to move out of the flat he shared with old school friend
Mary Fellowes in Notting Hill, West London.

One friend was said to have stated: "Will wanted to carry on living with Mary but the pressures of fame have made it hard.
He needs somewhere more private."

Will moved into his plush new pad in central London in the past few days.

Will and Gareth on course for number one!- Tuesday 24th Sep02-Ananova.com

Will Young and Gareth Gates look set to storm to the number one on Sunday.

They've got the fastest selling single in the country at the moment according to the latest sales figures from Virgin.

If The Long And Winding Road does enter the chart at in the top spot it'll be both singers third number one.

Oasis are currently in second place with Little By Little with Avril Lavigne is expected to make her UK chart debut at number
three.

The current number one, Pink's Just Like A Pill, is in fourth place followed by Atomic Kitten's version of The Tide Is High
at five.

THE FOLLOWING THREE ARTICLES ARE ALL FROM ANANOVA.COM AND THE OFFISH SITE!

Will and Gareth on course for second week at Number 1 - Wed 2nd Oct-

Will Young and Gareth Gates look set to stay at number one this weekend.

According to midweek sales figures The Long And Winding Road will hold on to the top spot for a second week.

Holly Valance is expected to enter the chart at number two.

A spokeswoman for Virgin Megastores told Ananova: "Will and Gareth are way ahead of Holly".

Avril Lavigne should stay at number three with Complicated.


ARTICLE 2
Will Young plans duet with Kelly Clarkson - Wed 2nd Oct

Will Young is planning to record a duet with American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.

The pair sang together on the final of the US show last month.

But record boss Simon Cowell says they need to choose an amazing track for it to be a hit.

Cowell told Heat magazine: "I think it will happen, it makes sense. It would have to be something as good as the George Michael
and Aretha Franklin duet I Knew You Were Waiting For Me.

"It has to be amazing, otherwise don't do it."

He adds that him and Will are still "not the best of friends", after he publicly favoured Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates.

He adds: "We're not enemies. We respect each other, but he has a much closer relationship with Simon Fuller. I'm like a child,
I want my own way. I'm always saying things I regret."

ARTICLE 3

Will instore signing at hmv- Wed 2nd Oct-offish

Will has confirmed to appear at HMV, 150 Oxford Street, London on Monday 7th October, the day of release of his new album
for an instore signing.

The signing will take place between 12 noon - 2pm. In order to guarantee that you get your copy of the album signed by Will,
you will need to get hold of a wristband for the event. There are 350 wristbands up for grabs. 150 of these are at HMV and
will be handed out on a first come first serve basis at 9am on Monday 7th October. The remainig 200 pairs of tickets will
be given away in pairs on Will's official website.

For more information and a chance to win a ticket head over to Will's official site.



No luxury suites for Will - Tues 8th Oct-The Sun

WILL YOUNG has banned his management from booking him into luxury hotel suites —for fear of being branded “demanding”.

The Pop Idol winner also doesn’t like wasting money so he insists on small rooms while on the road. He said: “It’s only me,
I don’t need much space.”

But Will is not as humble as he’d have us believe. He has a make-up artist, stylist and hairdresser for photo shoots. He admitted:
“I’ve seen horrid shots of me looking rough and spotty, so I attempt to appear suitably groomed.”

Prince joins crowd for Will and Gareth concert - Thurs 10th October-ananova.com

The Prince of Wales has joined 12,000 screaming fans at a sell-out charity concert by Pop Idols Will Young and Gareth Gates.

The two singers met the Prince backstage at the Wembley Arena venue, before he settled down to enjoy the performance, staged in aid of the Prince's Trust.

The duo added the extra date, at the north London venue, to their UK tour to raise money for the charity.

It was expected to raise more than £250,000 for the Trust, for which Will and Gareth are both celebrity ambassadors.

Gareth's ripped jeans and studded belt with his name emblazoned on it drew a comment from the Prince, who said: "I must remember to get my trousers distressed."

Asked by the Prince how he was enjoying chart success, Gareth enthused about his duo with Will, The Long and Winding Road, being at number one in the singles charts.

Gareth was then whisked off to be secured into a harness ready to be "flown" on to stage for the second half.

Will, who has performed in front of the Prince at Buckingham Palace this summer, as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, also said how good if felt to be at number one in the album charts with his debut release.

The pair, who are due to perform at venues from London to Glasgow as part of their tour, sang their number one hit plus material from both their long-awaited albums.

Pop Idol runner-up Zoe Birkett, 17, also sang, in support, at the concert.

Will and Gareth were originally scheduled to meet the Prince in April but that meeting was cancelled when the Queen Mother died.



Will, Gareth, Kylie and Ronan set for Royal Variety Performance-Wed 16th Oct-ananova.com

Will Young, Gareth Gates, Ronan Keating and Kylie Minogue are among the performers confirmed for this year's Royal Variety Performance.

They will be joined by Anastacia, Enrique Iglesias, Shania Twain and Shirley Bassey.

Bob Monkhouse, Lee Mack and Omid Djalili will provide the comedy.

The show will also feature performances by the cast of Bombay Dreams and Our House, the new musical based on Madness songs.

The show takes place on December 2 at the Hammersmith Apollo in the presence of Prince Charles.


Press release from BMG-Offish site-Wednesday 16th Oct
Urgent press release from the office of :
Ged Doherty
President, BMG Music Division

I need to correct an erroneous story that has appeared in The Sun concerning the Will Young album, From Now On. I can confirm that the version of this album currently instore is and will remain the only version. We have no plans whatsoever to re-package this album.

I should also point out its incredible success to date. The album entered the UK chart at No.1, selling over 187,000 copies in its first week. This is the highest first-week sale by a debut artist this year! The album looks on course to stay at No.1 this week and we are looking to achieve over 1 million copies by Christmas. We are incredibly proud of the success of this album and of Will himself.

The story was incorrect, I re-iterate we had no plans to re-package the album, and I'm sad to be having to issue statements like this in a week where we should be celebrating our No.1 album.



Will At The National Music Awards!Well done to our Will who became the champion of the awards last night and won Best Newcomer and Best Male(he beat Robbie!)Here is a bit from the Sun about last night...

Will Pips Gareth
GARETH GATES looks dressed for success in a leather jacket that had fans drooling at the ITV1 National Music Awards last night – but he lost out to rival WILL YOUNG.
In a repeat of the Pop Idol result, Will,beat Gareth to win Favourite UK Male and Favourite Newcomer at the awards in West London.
But Gareth got a gong for Favourite TV Music Performance, beating S CLUB