Will Young has said he feels there is a ‘loneliness’ that comes along with being a gay man.
The 43-year-old recently opened up about his ‘loneliness and abandonment’ on a Liverpool-based LGBT+ podcast. Joining hosts Matthew Riley and Brendan Geoghegan on their podcast, Bottoming, the Leave Right Now singer also discussed how he stays on top of his physical and mental health.
The bonus episode, which was released to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, sees the men talk about how they deal with feeling isolated while being members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Will said: “There’s a loneliness when we abandon ourselves, there's a loneliness that can run throughout someone’s life that will be to do with something in the past. For years, I used to feel lonely and I think that there can be a type of loneliness that is specific to gay men as well actually. I often think about it and wonder if it’s linked to gay shame. Feeling lonely is awful because it feels like a void that won’t get filled. Often we can be around people, but still feel desperately lonely.”
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The British singer-songwriter went on to explain how he got to know others on a deeper level in a bid to combat his loneliness. Listeners also learned how the Evergreen singer used therapy as a mechanism to help him overcome issues he has faced in life. He added: “The worst type of loneliness I think is a sort of sense of abandonment…that’s certainly what I used to have. You know that’s what I call a spiritual wounding, and that’s a tricky thing to fill, it’s a tricky chasm to fill, but it can be filled.”
Will first rose to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the worldwide Idol franchise. Since then, he has released multiple albums, enjoyed several UK number one singles and starred alongside Dame Judi Dench in the film Mrs Henderson Presents.
On the podcast, the music artist revealed when he isn’t in the spotlight he enjoys gardening. Will, who appeared on BBC’ s Gardeners World twice, said: “For me, it’s very creative. My garden is an extension of me being an artist. The way I do my garden, the colours, the plants I choose to plant, it's all about design and I have little sculptures within my garden. I just love it… It’s the aesthetic, it's a thing of beauty which I love."
The two-time Brit Award winner also spoke about his latest book, Be Yourself and Happier: The A-Z of Wellbeing, which is about Will "revealing his own vulnerabilities" and teaching readers " how to identify destructive patterns, develop good mindful habits, be true to who we are and grow into better versions of ourselves."
You can listen to the full episode on Spotify.
