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

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.”