Will Young is "loving being older"

Will - who came to prominence in 2002, when he won the TV talent show 'Pop Idol' - told The Independent: "I'm loving being older.

"But as a gay man, it's bizarre how people respond to you. You're put in a category: now I'm a 'daddy'."

The chart-topping star wishes other celebrities were more honest about the realities of ageing.

He explained: "You know, I'm three stone heavier than I used to be, but no one talks about that.

"In the world I'm in, and maybe in the space that we occupy, no one talks about it. It's just quite nice to talk about looking in the mirror and looking old and not feeling attractive."

Meanwhile, Will previously admitted that he actually finds acting to be less stressful than making music.

The pop star thinks musicians are under more pressure to create a "brand" for themselves.

Will - who previously starred in a one-man play called 'Song from Far Away' - explained: "What the audience thinks of me doesn't matter. I'm not selling myself but someone else.

"Music is different. There's pressure to be a brand."

Will observed that musicians are expected to use their social media accounts in order to promote their work.

However, as an actor, Will didn't face the same kind of pressures.

The singer - who studied at the University of Exeter before finding success as a pop star - said: "I'm even locked out of my social media because I just get drunk and slag people off. As an actor, I don't need that presence."