Will Young was misdiagnosed as being bipolar during a mental health crisis
MusicWill YoungWill Young has revealed he was wrongly diagnosed as having bipolar disorder when he suffered a breakdown and started disassociating as a 'protective mechanism'Samantha MayersMusic. . .
MusicWill YoungWill Young has revealed he was wrongly diagnosed as having bipolar disorder when he suffered a breakdown and started disassociating as a 'protective mechanism'Samantha MayersMusic columnist12:13, 22 Jun 2026Updated 12:13, 22 Jun 2026Former Pop Idol star Will Young has revealed he was once wrongly diagnosed with bipolar disorder and put on medication for it when he was having a mental health crisis. Thesinger/songwriter, 47, experienced a "breakdown" after going through a tough break-up during his stint on theWest End revivalof Cabaret and was subsequently wrongly diagnosed with having the mental health condition. Speaking on the podcast On The Mend with Matt Willis, Will shared: "I just had a breakdown, and I done this experimental course which I won’t name as I don’t want anyone to do it as I don’t think it’s very good, it was a bit dangerous. "Broke up, opened a lot of trauma and I just fell apart, but I went up to the director Rufus Norris and I went, ‘Rufus I don’t want to panic you but I am having an emotional breakdown’, but I said, ‘I think I will make it through’, and he was amazing. "Will added that he started to dissociate from the real world which was when he sought further help and was diagnosed. He continued: "But what happened was I then dissociated like halfway through the run [on West End]"It’s a protective mechanism, and I just left my body and suddenly I couldn't recognize my face in the mirror. "I couldn't recognize people. . . . "I had no emotional recall. "It was horrific and I felt like a walking ghost. "It can be described as an anxiety disorder, but I had to describe it myself because I was also being thrown on a load of medication. "I was completely misdiagnosed as bipolar and I wasn’t bipolar I had trauma. "The Leave Right Now hitmaker added he was dissociated "until fairly recently" making life "difficult" for him for many years. Later in the podcast Will compared it to feeling like he's living "in a video game", and admitted he doesn't know how he made it out the other side. He confessed: "For the last 14 years I haven't really been living if I am honest, I actually don't know how I'm still here, I really don't. "Article continues belowWill credited being in a happy and loving relationship with helping him recover. Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbizhereWant all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox?Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletterChoose Daily Star as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value. Will YoungMental Health