POP Idol winner Will Young shot to Number One with his
debut single yesterday — but has been banned from singing it live on Top Of The
Pops.
The 23-year-old politics graduate cruised to the top spot
with more than 1.1million sales of his double A-side disc Anything Is Possible
and Evergreen.
But his record company BMG have refused to let him appear
on TOTP after producers of the BBC1 show turned down their demands to let him
perform both songs.
TV chiefs said that would mean dedicating a quarter of the
show to Will, which they are not prepared to do. They will now show his video
instead.
TOTP producer Michael Kelpie said: “This is a very sad
moment in Top Of The Pops history. “The door is still open to Will and we would
love to have him on the show as long as the record company change their
unreasonable demands.”
TOTP was due to have the exclusive first showing of Will’s
video last week and the first live performance of his single this Friday.
But talks broke down when TOTP said it was rare for them
to show a debut act before they hit the charts.
And they almost never let acts perform more than one song
unless it is for a special one-off show.
A TOTP insider said: “In our 38-year history we’ve
featured the likes of Michael Jackson, Prince, Jennifer Lopez and Madonna.
Their record companies made no such demands.
“It is a real shame as I know it has been Will’s lifelong
dream to perform on the show. We cannot let record companies start dictating to
us how much coverage their artists get.”
A spokesman for Will refused to comment on the stand-off
last night.
The golden-voiced singer, from Hungerford, Berks, won the
hearts of the nation when he beat rival Gareth Gates to be crowned winner of
the Pop Idol talent search three weeks ago.
His single has smashed every record set by a debut music
act.
He will now be entered in The Guinness Book of Hit Singles
as the biggest-selling debut act over a week and for first-day sales.
Delighted Will, who appeared on London’s Capital Radio
yesterday, said last night: “I can’t express how happy I am. It’s an amazing
feeling to have a No1 hit. Everything I’ve experienced over the last couple of
months is just beginning to sink in.
“To have broken records with my debut single is
incredible. All I can say is the biggest thank you to everyone who voted for me
and everyone who’s bought the single. I thought it couldn’t get better, but it
just has.”
Will’s single sold 385,483 on its first day of release
last week. Its total for the week was 1,108, 269 — just 1,731 short of going
double platinum.
The previous biggest-selling debut act was Hear’Say from
ITV’s Popstars show last year. First week sales of their debut single hit
550,000 copies.
David Roberts, Editor of the Guinness Book of British Hit
Singles, was astonished by the reaction to Will.
He said: “Every day this week Will was on the way to
new records. He has broken the one million barrier in his first week. It’s
something special.”
The biggest and fastest-selling single yet was Sir Elton
John’s Candle in the Wind tribute to Princess Diana. It sold more than five
million, including 1.5million in the first week.
Ó The Sun