Will Young: I’ve learned to live with my anxiety

Young said he is ready for his return to ballroom dancing
Back in action: Singer Will Young
Jay Brooks
Alistair Foster18 December 2017
The Weekender

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Will Young says he has “learned to live” with the anxiety that led him to quit Strictly — and is ready for his return to ballroom dancing.

The singer, 38, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2012 and walked out of last year’s BBC dancing competition after three weeks.

Last month it was announced he will join the cast of the musical Strictly Ballroom, which debuts at the Piccadilly Theatre in March. Speaking about his casting for the first time, Young told the Standard: “I would separate Strictly on the BBC from Strictly on the West End. They all exist in their own right.

“With PTSD, sometimes it could be difficult for me to go to the coffee shop, or visit the bank — but I now know when to expect it. It’s just something I’ve learned to live with the best I can, and listen to my body.

Having a ball: Will Young with his Strictly Ballroom partner Karen Clifton
Guy Levy/BBC

“If my nervous system is too much then I might not want to go round to a friend’s for dinner. If I push myself to do things it gets worse. It’s like having a broken leg if you are an athlete — you need time to recover and can’t push yourself.

“I’ve got really good at looking after my nervous system — it’s been the making of me. Self-care is what everyone should aspire to.

“I’m a very content person. People think that PTSD must be depressing. That’s not the case.”

Strictly Ballroom is based on Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 film of the same name, about a maverick ballroom dancer and his partner, which inspired the BBC to launch Strictly Come Dancing in 2004. Young plays a new character, Wally Strand, whom he likened to an MC who will “guide the audience”. The musical stars Jonny Labey and Zizi Strallen in the lead roles.

Young, who won the first Pop Idol in 2002, is working on a second series of his podcast Homo Sapiens, which focuses on LGBTQ+ issues. He starts preparing for his West End role next month. “I work on things that pique my interest,” he said. “With Strictly Ballroom, I’m excited and slightly scared.”

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