Will Young has said that dropping out of Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 was the best decision he ever made.
The Pop Idol star was in the competition for three weeks, and at the time said he had left for “personal reasons”.
“Looking back, it was a brave decision, and the right one,” he said.
“I was very ill. I had bad hypervigilance [an exaggerated fear of danger associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, which Young had been diagnosed with], and a bad nervous system,” he told The Telegraph, when asked what the “best decision” he had ever made was.
He added: “I needed to look after myself”.
The singer-songwriter has recently been praised by fans for opening up about losing his twin brother, Rupert Young, in his newly released Channel 4 Documentary Losing My Twin Rupert. The documentary is told from his family’s perspective, narrating how his late brother Rupert suffered from addiction.
Audiences have applauded the documentary for Young’s honest discussion of trauma, and for breaking down some of the stigma surrounding addiction.
Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert is available to stream on All4.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
