Will Young has admitted that he still gets a kick from standing up to 'bullies' like Simon Cowell on Pop Idol.
The singer, who won the talent show 20 years ago in 2001, impressed judges Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox when he appeared on the first series of the iconic singing competition - but head judge Simon was always a little more harsh when it came to sharing this opinion on Will's performances.
When he won Pop Idol, Will was only 22-years-old, and looking back on his experience, he said he feels proud of standing up to the notorious judge.
The Leave Right Now singer told: "From the first time I stood up to a bullying Simon Cowell as a judge, I feel it's a responsibility if people who don't have a voice can't shine a light on certain things that I do so.
"It's very fulfilling and I get a lot of pleasure from it," he told PinkNews.
"We all have times when we need to stand up for ourselves. I had a politics degree, I used to go on protests, I was very much not keen on seeing people being abused in any form.
"And so really it wasn’t just for me when I spoke up, it was for all the other people that he had been horrible to.
"People who are bullies, they’re only as powerful as the power you give them, and he didn’t have any power over me so I didn’t give a s**t."
The chart-topping hit-maker continued: "We see people who are in positions of power that can offer you 'opportunities' and maybe abuse that for entertainment value, and I wasn’t going to have that.
"I was as much rallied by how other people had been treated as I was by the fact that I felt he was trying to sabotage me.
"I’m very proud of it – particularly for speaking up for others, I think."
Will's confession comes amid rumours Pop Idol is making a comeback after the show celebrated twenty years since it's debut.
The show ran from 2001 to 2003 and was the iconic programme that launched Will and Gareth Gates' careers.
The iconic series, which debuted twenty years ago in October 2001, set the blueprint for future TV hits including The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and The Voice UK.
The Mirror have reached out to Simon's representatives for comment on this story.
