Will Young has opened up about his struggle with depression, admitting that he quit Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 as he was worried he would do himself "real damage". Speaking to Event magazine, the singer said: "Mental illness is mental illness. I was unwell. In the weeks leading up to Strictly, all I could think about was how could I get out of doing the show. I knew I didn’t have the strength, that I wasn’t in the right place and that I would do myself real damage. I actually looked into the easiest way to break my legs so I couldn’t dance. That’s how bad it was."
Will opened up about his struggle with depression
The star, who is due to appear in the stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom, spoke about spending around £500,000 on therapy, explaining: "It seems like a lot of money to spend. But part of that money has gone on me doing things I thought would make me feel better, like completely decorating a house believing it would make me feel happy, or going into Gap and getting everything and then coming home and feeling completely empty."
Will previously opened up about how he felt before he sought help, telling ES Magazine: "I couldn’t cope with anything. This was continuous. I found it hard to leave for anything. Everything I loved was hard." Speaking about the possibility of returning to Strictly, he added: "I wouldn’t be asked to do it again and I don’t think it would be a good idea, even separate from my PTSD, which was making it intolerable because I couldn’t get out of bed." Will's dance partner on the show, Karen Clifton, previously opened up about Will leaving the show, telling the Radio Times: "I haven't really been in touch with Will since the show. I think everybody understands his reasons and we all understand, but it's hard when there's the other half. It's my job and I love my job and it was really hard for me to stay behind and see everybody have an amazing series and not to be a part of it."