Will Young has revealed that his time on Pop Idol helped him to deal with his shyness and low self-esteem.

The ‘Jealousy’ singer, who famously triumphed over Gareth Gates in the 2002 final, told The Guardian that performing in front of millions of viewers allowed him to express who he really was.

He said: "That's why Pop Idol was so mental. I was 22. I don't even think I was comfortable with my sexuality at that stage, yet I could pick up a microphone for the first time and tell the judges what I thought.

“Ten years ago, I couldn't even go to a nightclub, I was such a shy person. I've always had quite low self-esteem and I think that's why singing and songwriting and performing have been such outlets because I could always express who I really wanted to be."

The 33-year-old, who this week unveiled the video for his new single, 'I Just Want A Lover,' also confessed that he always knew he would be in it for the long haul once he won the show:

"Where I'm at now is where I've always wanted to be. I knew when I won Pop Idol, I definitely had five years: that I wanted to do better music; I wanted to act as well; I wanted to do stuff that I really believed in.

"And Simon Fuller got it and always did really. He always thought long term and I always thought long term. I've never done ambulance chasing. I still make decisions based on wanting to be around for the next 10 years."