Will's ready for changes
Will Young is relaxed and supremely confident, but not arrogant. There's a self-assurance about him that seems natural, rather than forced or contrived.
And he's cute. Very cute. The wide smile, fresh complexion and clear blue eyes are beguiling. As granny would say: 'he's a lovely boy.'
The self-styled 'gay, middle-class pop star with a politics degree' - often referred to as 'the posh pop singer' has come a long way since he won the Pop Idol contest in 2002.
After he beat favourite Gareth Gates to the top slot, he went on to win two Brit awards, chalked up four No.1 singles - his first, Evergreen was the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history - and embarked on an acting career.
He made his first foray into acting in 2005, starring with Dame Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins in Mrs Henderson Presents.
Last year, he made his British stage debut in a revival of Noel Coward's 1924 play The Vortex at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.
But he's adamant that doesn't mean he's about to give up singing.
'I didn't turn to acting because my music career wasn't fulfilling, but it's important for me to continue with it. I'd like to do one acting job each year. It's definitely not a whimsical thing. I'm not a singer dabbling in acting. I definitely get a very creative buzz from it.
Singing and acting are equally valid forms of entertainment'
He says he particularly enjoys comedy and would like to do more.
'I've been in Little Britain and The Play What I Wrote. I love comedy. I got mixed review for The Noel Coward comedy, but most said keep on going and were very encouraging.'
His eyes sparkle and he grins, boyishly. At 29, he says he's currently happily single and when he's not touring, he divides his time between a property in Cornwall - where he's learning to surf 'badly' and a house in Holland Park, West London, where he lives with two flatmates, one a teacher, the other a professor.
'I like having the company,' he says.
Born in Hungerford, Berkshire, where his mum, a market gardener, and dad, who owns an engineering company, still own a pub. He has an older sister, Emma, and brother, Rupert, who he's very close to.
He's a non-identical twin to Rupert, who runs the Mood Foundation, which helps to provide mental health treatment. Rupert established the charity after recovering from a lifetime's struggle with addiction and severe depression
It's hard to imagine a more striking contrast. There's Will Young, with his radiant smile and relaxed demeanour, acting as though he's got the world at his feet. Then there's his twin, so tortured by demons he was self-harming at one stage.
But, far from being embarrassed by his sibling, Will says he's proud of him.
'He's doing wonderfully. He's raised so much money and awareness for The Mood Foundation. He's been interviewed by the Telegraph and on TV, and he's doing brilliantly especially for someone who struggled depression for such a long time.
'He's conquered that and moved on to help other people. It's a true accomplishment and I'm very proud of him. He's inpirational.'
Will supports his brother's charity and was with Rupert for the last leg of his trip down the Thames when he pedaloed several miles to raise money for the charity.
Says Will: 'I joined Rupert for the last four miles. Altogether he raised 50,000. On his travels up and down the river, people kept coming up to him and telling him about their various states of minds. Depression still has a stigma attached, and he's doing something to bring it out into the open, which is healthy for everybody.'
Does he worry about his own mental health?
He doesn't pause, answering candidly: 'I don't think I do suffer from depression, but it has run in my family and it's definitely something I have to watch as a, sort of, sensitive person. There are so many different types, but I've lived with my brother whose had it for a long time and I've become award of it.'
It's not the only charity he supports. There's also Mencap and Women's Aid.
Explains Will: 'I did one of my dissertations on domestic violence and it touched a chord. I think of (charity work) it as another side of my job. These days people need a "name", or a famous person, to bring something to light. It's a duty, not a burden. What you get you should give back.'
Right now, he's focusing on himself and his latest single, Changes.
It's one of those songs that quickly becomes an earworm - a tune you can't get out of your head, even if you wanted to.
'I'm so pleased that was the first single off the new album,' he says. 'I wrote it with Eg White (known for his work with Adele, Duffy and Sam Sparrow) who I wrote Leave Right Now With. It's a great writing partnership now.
'Change is good,' he says. 'That seems to be the theme of my life at the moment. Musically and personally, I find myself talking about it a lot. I'm nearly 30 and that's a good time to take stock.
'I hope it's a song everybody can identify with on some level. Change is something that happens to all of us whether you want it to or not. It can be scary or liberating.'
Will Young will be at Portsmouth Guildhall on Sunday November 30. For tickets, call (023) 9282 4355.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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