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Inside Will Young’s ‘feud’ with ‘bully’ Simon Cowell – clap back on live TV, ‘instant dislike’ and Strictly jibe

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Their ‘feud’ dates back all the way to the 2000s.

Will Young shot to fame on Pop Idol – but it turns out he has beef with one of the judges, none other than Simon Cowell.

The singer managed to win the singing competition series back in 2002 – and was propelled into instant stardom. From chart-topping albums to sell-out tours, Will – who is on Sunday Brunch today (August 11) – has kept himself busy in the last two decades.

However, over the years, it’s fair to say he and Simon Cowell haven’t exactly seen eye to eye.

But why did Will famously call out Simon live on TV? And what did Simon say about Will during his stint on Strictly? Keep reading to find out…

It was in 2002 when Will appeared on Pop Idol, which saw him triumph over rival Gareth Gates and be named winner. Joining Simon on the judging panel was Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox.

However, Will often clashed with music mogul Simon and the pair had several disagreements off the programme. After one performance on the show, Will fired back after Simon dubbed his rendition of The Doors’ Light My Fire as “distinctively average”.

Standing his ground, Will told him on the show: “All of us have been dying to say things to you – I’ve written about 10 things to say to you.

“I think it’s nice that you have given opinions on this show. I think in previous shows you haven’t, you’ve just projected insults and it has been terrible to watch.”

He went on: “I think, this show, I think you have been better, and I think you have given opinions and you’ve backed up your opinions. It is your opinion. I don’t agree with it, I don’t think it was average. I don’t think you could ever call that average. But it is your opinion and I respect that.”

Simon dubbed Will Young ‘obnoxious’

Since the show though, things haven’t cooled down between Will and Simon.

In 2012, Simon made a savage dig about Will, admitting he didn’t like him still, and that Gareth Gates should have won Pop Idol instead.

As Huffington Post reports, speaking on ITV1’s The Talent Show, Simon said: “I thought, this will be interesting – you don’t like me, I don’t like you… and nothing’s changed particularly.”

He went on: “I still to this day can’t watch the final back because I was really, really disappointed. I really liked Gareth and wanted him to win.”

The publication also claims that Simon said his first impressions of Will were that he was “obnoxious” and “full of himself”.

Will Young ‘doesn’t like bullies’

In 2015, Will Young reignited his feud with Simon after he publicly branded the X Factor judge a “bully”.

“I don’t like bullies, and I don’t know if there’s a nurturing side to his shows,” he told The Huffington Post UK.

“It always comes from the top. There definitely wasn’t enough pastoral care, and I can’t bear seeing people that aren’t looked after. I didn’t like it at school, and with my friends. I’ve never liked it, and that’s my question for him,” Will added.

Simon Cowell’s swipe at Will Young on Strictly

In 2016, Will appeared on Strictly Come Dancing. Partnered with Karen Hauer, Will ended up quitting the show just three weeks in.

However, Simon at the time couldn’t help but make a dig about Will. In an interview with The Sun, Simon was asked about MP Ed Balls’ time on Strictly.

He said: “I have respect for Ed because anyone who can poke fun at themselves means they are a fun person. He didn’t take himself too seriously, unlike Will.”

Will Young had ‘instant dislike’ towards Pop Idol judge Simon

More recently, Will has reflected on the moment he stood up to Simon Cowell while competing on Pop Idol back in the 2000s.

“I knew I was going to stand up to him.… I think I knew that I needed a moment because I thought if you get a moment then people will remember you,” he revealed.

Speaking on the podcast How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, Will continued: “I also knew that I really disliked that man.

“I’d met him before on the This Morning boy band competition…and 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.”

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Austin Butler praises Jodie Comer’s work ethic on The Bikeriders

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Austin Butler has praised Jodie Comer’s work ethic in The Bikeriders, a new Jeff Nichols film inspired by a woman caught up with the culture of a 1960s motorcycle club in Illinois.

The movie follows the story of Kathy (Comer), who is drawn to Benny (Butler) – the newest member of the Vandals led by Johnny (Tom Hardy).

As the club evolves from a gathering place into a dangerous underworld of violence, Benny is forced to choose between Kathy and his club loyalty.

Butler said of his co-star: “I just have such a respect for her…. When you have a kind of a mutual love of what you do and care [about], we felt like we bonded very quickly.”

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Austin Butler reflects on Paul McCartney’s house party with Taylor Swift

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Austin Butler just shared the details of his wild night at Paul McCartney’s house party.

The star-studded affair was not only the most “insane” time Butler’s had in a while, but it was the most glamorous, being surrounded by his childhood icons and legendary music artists like Meryl Streep and Bruce Springsteen.

Butler, 32, reflected on the experience while speaking with Jimmy Kimmel, who was also lucky enough to be at the party. During the June 17 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the two gushed about having last seen each other at McCartney’s house.

“Last time I saw you was at maybe the craziest party I’ve ever been to in my whole life,” Kimmel, 56, admitted before Butler agreed: “That was insane.”

Kimmel noted: “It was like a party where Tom Hanks is going: ‘Oh my God, can you believe who’s here?!’”

Emblem rockers like Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ringo Starr graced McCartney’s home, leaving Hollywood’s elite to mingle with music royalty, the pair said. Even Taylor Swift was there, according to Butler and Kimmel.

The Elvisstar said the “Anti-Hero” singer wasn’t a normal guest, she was the DJ. “Yeah, she was DJing at one point,” Butler told Kimmel, who then quipped about how Swift isn’t booked and busy enough, she must oversee the music for McCartney’s party, too.

While Swift’s appearance may have been cause for celebration among some of the other guests, Butler confessed a different idol sent him into complete awe. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Meryl Streep in the same room as him.

“She’s just the greatest. I felt like, you know in high school when you have a crush on somebody and they’re across the room and you don’t really know how to say hello to them?” he said. “That’s how it was. I saw her there and I couldn’t believe I was in the same room.”

Too star-struck to approach the It’s Complicatedlead himself, Butler headed into McCartney’s kitchen to bide his time and eat some vegan pizza. Thankfully, his friend offered to introduce him and Streep.

“I couldn’t believe I was meeting Meryl Streep with Paul McCartney’s vegan pizza in my mouth,” Butler confessed.

He was then pulled into a circle of people he couldn’t pass the opportunity to spend time with. Butler was invited to “have tacos with Snoop Dogg and Robert De Niro.”

“I dropped everything I was doing and I was there in a heartbeat,” he told Kimmel.

Another crazy conversation Butler had was with Bruce Springsteen. The 74-year-old recounted a time when he was fearless, hopping the fence at Graceland to sing Elvis Presley a song.

Butler had heard rumors that Springsteen had done that but wasn’t sure it was true until he confirmed. Of course, Presley wasn’t there when Springsteen approached his front door.

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Austin Butler says Bruce Springsteen once tried and failed to bring a song to Elvis Presley

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Austin Butler has recalled the epic story of Bruce Springsteen hopping the gates at Graceland to try and deliver Elvis Presley a song he had written.

The 32-year-old actor, who starred as Presley in the 2022 Oscar-nominated biopic Elvis, shared the “mythical story” during an appearance on Monday (June 17) night’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Recounting a recent star-studded party that they had both attended, Kimmel said: “I got to watch Bruce Springsteen tell you a story about Elvis. Do you remember the story?”

“I had heard this sort of mythical story,” Butler responded, “and then to hear from him of him being a huge Elvis fan and then hopping the gates at Graceland to try and get up there and he knocked on the door and he wanted to give Elvis a song to sing.”

“Do you remember what he said to the guy? ‘Is Elvis home?’” Kimmel laughed, with Butler continuing: “And he said, ‘No, he’s in Tahoe,’ or something.”

“And this is when Bruce Springsteen, by the way, had been on the cover of Time magazine, on the cover of Rolling Stone,” Kimmel said incredulously. “I mean, he was not like some unknown kid from New Jersey. He was famous, jumped over the fence…”

“Somehow evaded the dogs,” Butler added. “He’s a fast runner.”

Kimmel remembered: “And he gave the guy a song he had written for Elvis and then Elvis never – I don’t know. Nothing happened. He didn’t record the song.”

“I’m so bummed I never got to hear that song,” Butler said.

Austin Butler retold a story of Bruce Springsteen wanting to give Elvis Presley a song to sing

Austin Butler retold a story of Bruce Springsteen wanting to give Elvis Presley a song to sing (Getty Images)

Butler’s performance as the King of Rock and Roll in the Baz Luhrmann-directed Elvis earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

He’s since been booked and busy, starring in back-to-back projects, including Dune: Part Two, which was released in March, and the Apple TV+ miniseries Masters of the Air.

The latter tells the journey of a group of 10 men who fly an aluminum bomber, called the “Flying Fortress,” to battle German forces in WWII.

“It’s hard to resist the pulse-quickening action of this epic Second World War tale,” Nick Hilton wrote in a four-star review for The Independent.

“The Bloody Hundredth, staffed by men scarcely into adulthood, might be a glamorous bunch, but they are also losing their innocence. Playing out on a canvas in the skies, this is daring, big-budget filmmaking that just about sticks the landing.”

Butler currently stars in Jeff Nichols’s new crime thriller, The Bikeriders, alongside Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy.

The movie follows a Midwestern motorcycle club through the course of a decade as they evolve from a gathering place for local outsiders to a sinister gang.

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