Will Young claims Pop Idol bosses told him to hide his sexuality on the show but he refused to be 'kicked back in the closet'

Will Young claims Pop Idol bosses told him to hide his sexuality on the show but he refused to be 'kicked back in the closet' Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit www.samaritans.

org for details By Poppy Atkinson Gibson Published: 13:08 BST, 7 August 2024 | Updated: 13:22 BST, 7 August 2024 e-mail View comments Will Young has claimed that Pop Idol bosses told him to keep his sexuality a secret. The singer, 45, came out publicly in 2002 fresh from winning the show amid reports a newspaper was planning to out him as gay. In an interview at the time, Will - who was 23 - explained: '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'm sure this will not come as a surprise to many people, although I've always been discreet and I'm not a campaigner when it comes to my sexuality.

' However, Will claims that show bosses had encouraged him not to declare his homosexuality - prompting him to tell them to 'f**k off'. Will Young claims Pop Idol bosses told him to hide his sexuality on the show but he refused to be 'kicked back in the closet' (pictured in 2022) The singer recalled how producers told him to keep his sexuality under wraps which he felt was like being forced back into the closet (pictured during the Pop Idol final 2002) Speaking to Rylan on his new BBC Sounds podcast How To Be In The Spotlight, Will said: 'I.