Will Young recalls fearing Simon Cowell would 'destroy his career' over their Pop Idol feud as he says 'I don't like bullies'

Will Young has recalled his fear Simon Cowell could have 'destroyed his career' after they feuded on Pop Idol. 

The singer, 47, won the show in 2002 and his debut single, Evergreen, became the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history. 

Will famously hit out at Simon, 67, on the show, when Simon branded his performance of Light My Fire by The Doors 'distinctly average', to which Will said: 'I don’t agree with it. I don’t think it was average.' 

After landing a record deal following his victory, Will said he had a 'big fallout' with the music mogul when he wanted him to record an Elvis song as a double A-side to his and Gareth Gates’s cover of the Beatles’ The Long and Winding Road.

He told The Telegraph: 'I said, "I’ve done the Doors [Light My Fire], we’re doing the Beatles and now you want me to destroy Elvis? No. Can’t do it". That’s when it really fell out.' 

Gareth ended up recording Suspicious Minds alone, with Will turning to Simon Fuller, who also had a stake in his career, for advice. 

He went on: 'I did ask Fuller, "Can [Cowell] destroy my career?" And he said, "No, it would never happen".'

 Will added: 'I didn't like him at all. I don't like bullies. Remember, I grew up around bullies, I was at a very abusive school so my touch point for that type of person is finely tuned.'

Annie Lennox's producer Steve Lipson offered to produce Will's second album, with the Pop Idol star saying he 'wouldn't have a career if it wasn’t for Steve.' 

It comes after Will spoke to Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball on their Dig It podcast about his tense relationship with Simon. 

 When asked about his relationship with Simon, Will said: 'Well, I mean, non-existent. I mean, he just sort of hated me. I don't think he ever got over it...

'But it was fine. But I didn't know it was going to be like probably one of the most defining moments of my life...

'I mean, it probably gave me a career because everyone was like, 'Who's this kid?' They only put me in because didn't have enough boys up to that point. Yeah. Really? Yeah. So, it was just a game changer.' 

Will also told PA: 'I have to remind myself how young I was and how powerful he was - and I stood up for myself and for others. And I am very proud of that. It was kind of my defining moment really.' 

In 2024, Will said: 'I also knew that I really disliked that man. I'd met him before on the This Morning boy band competition…

'I remember thinking I really don't like that man, and I went to a school where I was surrounded by quite unpleasant men. So, my radar for people who I perceive as unpleasant is quite on...

'And I just want to be careful. I'm not saying that he's abusive, but my radar is pretty good. So my reaction was on live TV when I came across him...

'So it was, give myself a moment, but also I'm not going to stand, he needs to be put in his place. Because I had to sit and watch him make people cry for weeks, building up to my live performance in front of him.  

'And I just thought, 'no one's telling this man. Why is no one telling him?' And so I was like, 'I'm going to tell him'...

'I think people in the music industry, entertainment industry play on people's desire. Your desire is going to make you do anything.

'By that stage, I'd already had my first bout of depression. I'd lost someone close to me. I knew a bit of life. It wasn't the be all and end all. And so I didn't care about letting someone like him get away with it...

'Whereas I think lots of people in subsequent programs, I think there has been some awful behaviour actually, which is pretty well documented.'