‘I'm Actually Sweating Telling This Story': Will Young Recalls Mortifying Julia Roberts Encounter

Will Young is hardly the first person to fumble a celebrity encounter, but his meeting with Julia Roberts more than 15 years ago was an awkward experience that has apparently stayed with the pop star.

The chart-topping singer appeared on Wednesday’s edition of The One Show to speak about his upcoming new album and tour, when he recalled a rather mortifying interaction he once shared with the Notting Hill actor.

“I was singing at the LA BAFTAs,” he said. “She was in the dressing room and I got a bit tongue-tied, and I just was looking at her and thinking, ‘oh god, that’s Julia Roberts’.”

Will went on to say that Julia recognised him as “the guy from American Idol”, to which he corrected her and said: “No, Pop Idol.”

“Then I said, ‘wouldn’t it be funny if it was called Pup Idol and everyone brought their puppies’,” he recalled. “ She just looked at me. I know. It’s really odd.

“Her assistant just moved her away. I’m actually sweating telling this story.”

The Pop Idol winner recalled that he “started sweating” back then too, to the point it was commented on by his makeup artist.

“And I said, ‘Yeah I know, I’m fine. It’s just so hot’,” he joked.

The singer admitted that the experience was “just awful”, adding: “But I think people need to hear these stories.”

Will’s forthcoming ninth studio album, Light It Up, is out on 9 August. He’ll be following the release with a series of intimate acoustic performances featuring more stories from Will’s life from September through to November.

“I’m very excited to be going to a lot of places I haven’t been. I wanted to go to smaller venues so I could properly get around the country rather than just playing the big cities,” he said in a press release.