Will Young claims Adele was suspended from school after she punched a Gareth Gates supporter.
The two artists were locked in a fierce contest to be crowned the winner of Pop Idol’s inaugural run on ITV in 2002, with Will Young, then 47, ultimately edging out Gareth Gates, the hitmaker behind Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake).
Fans took the rivalry so seriously that Adele, who would go on to win Grammys, reportedly landed in serious trouble at school because of it.
Speaking to Official Charts, Will recalled that Adele was suspended for defending him as votes leaned toward Gareth Gates, underscoring the intense divide among his supporters and those backing the runner-up.
“She punched a girl. Got suspended from school. Did you know that?”
Elsewhere, Will confessed he hadn’t always been fond of his biggest hit, Leave Right Now.
He told the outlet: “I didn’t like it at all when I first heard it.”
“I didn’t want to do that kind of song. I’d done Evergreen, I’d done The Long and Winding Road, You and I. I just didn’t want to do a ballad.”
He preferred soulful songs like Your Game and Friday’s Child over the grand ballads.
He added: “I just thought, no, it’s going to be so boring to come back with a ballad.”
Nevertheless, producer Stephen Lipson and manager Simon Fuller persuaded him to go with it, and he felt the track improved once the strings were added.
The singer is gearing up to mark a major milestone in his career. He has announced a new UK tour to celebrate 25 years since his Pop Idol victory, unveiling a 16-date run titled The Evergreen 25th Anniversary Tour.
The shows will take place across February and March 2027, with Will performing with his full band and revisiting hits from across his two-decade career.
