Pop Idol winner Will Young has shared his thoughts on Simon Cowell’s singing show X Factor being axed after 17 years.
The Leave Right Now hitmaker appeared on BBC Breakfast on Thursday to discuss his new album, when host Naga Munchetty quizzed him on his opinions on the axe.
Naga asked: “X Factor. Bye bye. What do you think, good thing?”
“Gone yeah,” Will agreed. “I think probably a good thing.”
Naga pressed: “In what sense? Because it’s run its course or because of, actually, there’s so much debate? Through your podcasts and through interviews and general speaking, I know this from spending time with you, mental health is a very important subject to you and you’ve been very open about your own challenges and how you’ve been through life.
(Image: BBC)
“There is no denying that these things are brutal – reality television is brutal,” Naga elaborated.
Will responded: “I think they can be if they’re not done in the right way. I was very lucky, Pop Idol was fairly naive actually, it was genuinely just a singing competition.
“I think it can be tricky when there’s more outside sources at play, manipulating people. We weren’t manipulated. We did just turn up and sing.”
(Image: BBC)
The star added: “So I think it’s always good to have a bit of soul-searching, and maybe that’s what X Factor needs to do.
“I’m really proud of Pop Idol because I think things were done properly.”
Will also picked up on the fact that social media now plays such a huge role in reality TV, which can add to the pressures experienced by contestants.
(Image: Fremantle Media/REX/Shutterstock)
“You didn’t have social media [during Pop Idol], and people didn’t know what was gonna happen. They didn’t go ‘I think one of these contestants might be around in 20 years time’.
“So I think it’s probably a good thing, and if things need to be re-addressed, I hope they are,” he explained.
Naga’s co-host Charlie Stayt offered his own opinion, interjecting: “I suppose the downside is it was a place where people could get a break.”
Will agreed: “The best thing is the public were my record company. No-one would have signed… I was an openly gay politics student, not very cool, no-one would have signed me. But the public did, and they’ve stuck with me, and that’s what’s amazing.”
The Evergreen singer added: “We’ve kind of bucked the system. We were like, the fat cats – we don’t need them. That’s quite unique, and I’ve always felt that, and still do.”
Daily Star Online has contacted Syco for comment.
BBC Breakfast airs from 6am every day on BBC One.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
