Will Young opens up about lifelong battle with anxiety

Will Young has opened up about his lifelong battle with anxiety.
The singer left British ballroom show Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 just three weeks into the competition for “personal reasons”, and fans speculated it was his constant disagreements with former head judge Len Goodman that prompted him to leave.
However, speaking on Dermot O’Leary’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Saturday (17Feb18), Will confirmed that attending press launches and the intense media attention that came with appearing on Strictly caused him to panic.
“I’ve got a very dodgy nervous system that’s why, the irony that I was on Strictly – and I had to leave Strictly because of it. But I’ve done a lot of work on that, so physically I’m a lot better,” he explained.
“And I know, living with that kind of anxiety, I just know what works for me and what doesn’t, and actually being in theatre really works for me.”
He continued to explain that he feels less pressurised when starring in stage productions. Will is gearing up for the opening of his new West End show, the stage version of hit Australian movie Strictly Ballroom.
“People would think, ‘Oh, it’s eight shows a week,'” he added. “But no, the pressure’s off, because I’m not producing, I’m not writing, I’m not writing it. I just get to do – I get told what to do, and I do it to the best of my ability.
“So the pressure’s off. And then I do other things, like my podcast,” Will added.