Will Young has opened up about his choice to step down from Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, revealing he considers it to be “the best decision” he’s ever made.
During an interview with The Telegraph, the Jealousy singer was asked what he considers to be his best decision, with Will naming his Strictly departure.
Explaining his reasoning, Will said: “Because I chose my wellbeing over work.”
“It was a very good lesson for me,” he recalled. “Looking back, it was a brave decision, and the right one.
“I was very ill. I had bad hypervigilance [a symptom of PTSD described by Mind as ‘extreme alertness’] and a bad nervous system, and I needed to look after myself.”
Will has spoken out about leaving Strictly on a number of occasions in the past.
Back in 2017, he revealed his PTSD was a major factor in leaving the show early, stating: “I was really ill. I was dragging myself to rehearsals. I just couldn’t do it any more.
“It was so bad I thought – I’m not joking – I thought about breaking my leg.
“I decided to take on Strictly because I bloody love dancing. And I bloody hated it, because I was so ill.”
He previously dismissed claims that a disagreement with then-judge Len Goodman had caused him to quit the show, insisting: “It was important for me to leave Strictly for my own wellbeing. It was a number of things. It was nothing to do with the people on the show, and it certainly wasn’t because Len Goodman dissed my Salsa – I mean, come on!”
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.