'I was in the middle of a protracted breakdown': Will Young discusses Strictly withdrawal

Will Young says withdrawing from 'Strictly Come Dancing' was the "hardest point" of his career, because he was "in the middle of a protracted breakdown" and experiencing PTSD at the time.

The 'Jealously' hitmaker took part in the 2016 series, but he pulled out of the series for "personal reasons", and he has now told how he was suffering from a "heightened agoraphobia", but he wishes he could've experienced the BBC show when he wasn't unwell.

Speaking on the 'How To Fail with Elizabeth Day' podcast, he said; "I wish I had experienced it when I wasn't ill because I would've loved it.

"I love dancing, I trained in ballet and contemporary.

"I was actually really excited about doing the show but just leaving the house going 20 yards to the corner shop was hard.

"I was in the middle of a protracted breakdown and PTSD, and I learned very quickly I wasn't able to do this.

"It was a heightened agoraphobia. Imagine having panic attacks 24 hours a day. I don't know how I managed it, to be honest.

"I don't see it as a failure, but I see it as probably the hardest point of my career."

If the 45-year-old singer was ever to return to 'Strictly', he would like to dance with a male pro dancer.

He added: "If I did it now, I would dance with a male partner.

"I don't think it was an option [back then]. I don't think it was a conversation, no."

'Strictly' had its first same-sex pairing in 2020, when pro dancer Katya Jones and boxer Nicola Adams joined forces, but they later had to withdraw from the competition early after Katya was struck down with COVID-19.

In 2021, Johannes Radebe and John Whaite teamed up and made the semi-finals, and Jayde Adams and Karen Haur joined forces in 2022.

Last year, actor Layton Williams and pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin danced together and made the final.