Britain’s Got Talent 2024: This Mind-Blowing Magic Performance Left Judges Speechless and Sh:ock
Will Young recalls standing up to Simon Cowell: ‘I really disliked him’
Will Young has reflected on the moment he stood up to Simon Cowell while competing on Pop Idol.
Appearing on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, Young was quizzed about the moment he called out Cowell for the judge’s scathing remarks during a performance on the show in 2002.
Young, then 22, performed a rendition of The Doors’s “Light My Fire” on the first ever series of the singing competition.
Cowell called the performance “distinctly average”, and Young took the opportunity to call out the judge’s track record of giving aspiring singers brutal feedback.
Reflecting on that moment, Young said he knew he wanted to stand up to Cowell.
“I thought if you get a moment then people will remember you,” he said. “And then I also knew that I really disliked that man. And I’d met him before on the This Morning boy band competition.”
“And I remember thinking I really don’t like that man, and I went to a school where I was surrounded by … quite unpleasant men. So, my radar for people who I perceive as unpleasant is quite on. And I just want to be careful.
“I’m not saying that he’s abusive, but my radar is pretty good. So my reaction was on live TV when I came across him.
Young added that he thought Cowell needed to be “put in his place”.
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“Because I had to sit and watch him make people cry for weeks, building up to my live performance in front of him,” he continued. “And I just thought, ‘no one’s telling this man. Why is no one telling him?’ And so I was like, ‘I’m going to tell him.’”
“I think people in the music industry, entertainment industry… play on people’s desire. Your desire is going to make you do anything,” he added.
Young recalled that he had “already had my first bout of depression” by the time of the incident, which affected his handling of the situation.
“I’d lost someone close to me. I knew a bit of life. It wasn’t the be all and end all,” he said. “And so. I didn’t care about letting someone like him get away with it. Whereas I think lots of people in subsequent programs, I think there has been some awful behaviour actually, which is pretty well documented.”
At the time, Cowell watched Young’s performance and told him: “I’ve got a vision of Sunday lunch and after Sunday lunch you say in front of your family ‘I’m now going to sing a song for you’… Distinctly average, I’m afraid.”
Young told Cowell that he often “projected insults” onto contestants.
“All of us have been dying to say things to you – I’ve written about ten things to say to you,” the singer said. “I think it’s nice that you have given opinions on this show. I think in previous shows you haven’t, you’ve just projected insults and it has been terrible to watch. I think, this show, I think you have been better, and I think you have given opinions and you’ve backed up your opinions.”
“It is your opinion. I don’t agree with it. I don’t think it was average. I don’t think you could ever call that average. But it is your opinion and I respect that.”
Cowell backed down and replied: “You are a gentleman, sir.”
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day is available wherever you get your podcasts.
The 30 Most Expensive Cars In The World
By Jason Garbutt & Martin P. Wainaina
Updated Jan 2, 2024
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- 30 Most Expensive Cars In The World
No amount of corner-cutting and rummaging down the back of the sofa for loose change will help you when it comes to the most expensive cars in the world. The most expensive car produced in the world today is the $28-million Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, which is rumored to be owned by Jay Z and Beyonce (according to The Daily Telegraph).
Is the super expensive car market solely focused on fast cars alone? Not by a long way. Head over to the luxury car segment, and if you have enough cash, diamond-encrusted interiors adorn the interiors of Rolls-Royce’s finest. Even then, bespoke trims are nothing compared to the Flying Lady’s rarest cars.
UPDATE: 2023/12/28 12:52 EST BY RON FP
30 Most Expensive Cars In The World
HotCars analyzed the starting MSRPs of the most expensive cars still in production today, as well as the few-offs and one-offs that have been sold in recent years. We’ve added 10 more models to this list – bringing the total to 30 vehicles – and ranked in order from least to most expensive.
302022 Rimac Nevera: $2.1 Million
Highlights
- Vehicle Class: Electric Hypercar
- Production Numbers: 150 Units
- Country of Origin: Croatia
The 2022 Nevera Goes From 0-60 MPH In 1.74 Seconds
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the Rimac Nevera — arguably the first production EV worthy of the ‘supercar’ title. The Nevera made history a few months ago when it secured 23 independently verified speed records, including the fastest 0-60 mph ever recorded by a production car at an incredible 1.74 seconds.
The Nevera owes its face-bending acceleration to a quad-motor system generating an insane 1,886 hp, with one motor placed at each wheel. It’s no surprise it tops the list of the fastest-accelerating EVs on the market.
Performance Specs
| Powertrain | 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors |
| Horsepower | 1,914 hp |
| Torque | 1,726 lb-ft |
| 0-60 MPH | 1.74 seconds |
292023 Ferrari Daytona SP3: $2.2 Million
Highlights
- Vehicle Class: Hypercar
- Production Numbers: 599 Units
- Country of Origin: Italy
The 2023 Daytona SP3 Has A Naturally Aspirated V12 Engine
The Ferrari Icona series has given us various gems over the last decade or so. This series aims to produce cars that merge retro-inspired designs and modern technologies, and the new Daytona SP3 is a perfect example of that. Ferrari unveiled the Daytona SP3 as a tribute to their 1967 Daytona win, and it’s been a huge hit.
The Daytona SP3 has styling elements inspired by the iconic Ferrari 330 P4 race car of the ’60s, which means it’s an instant head-turner. It gets even better, as the Daytona SP3 has a mid-mounted 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 that generates 829 hp and sounds glorious while at it.
Performance Specs
| Powertrain | 6.5-liter V12 |
| Horsepower | 829 hp |
| Torque | 514 lb-ft |
| 0-60 MPH | 2.7 seconds |
282023 Pagani Utopia: $2.5 Million
Highlights
- Vehicle Class: Hypercar
- Production Numbers: 99 Units
- Country of Origin: Italy
The 2023 Utopia Has A Seven-Speed Manual Transmission
The Huayra has been a great servant for Pagani since it replaced the Zonda over a decade ago, but now it’s time for it to go. Thankfully, there’s a new sheriff in town in the form of Pagani’s new masterpiece of luxury and power — the Utopia.
The Utopia’s predecessor left behind huge shoes to fill, and the Pagani supercar does that perfectly. It has a drop-dead-gorgeous design that makes it look right at home alongside the automaker’s other models, an over-the-top interior, and a Mercedes-AMG-sourced twin-turbo V12 powertrain making 852 ponies. There’s even a seven-speed manual transmission for the purists to enjoy.
Performance Specs
| Powertrain | 6.0-liter Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo V12 |
| Horsepower | 852 hp |
| Torque | 811 lb-ft |
| 0-60 MPH | 2.6 seconds (est.) |
272020 Pininfarina Battista: $2.5 Million
Highlights
- Vehicle Class: Electric Hypercar
- Production Numbers: 150 Units
- Country of Origin: Italy
The Battista Is The Most Powerful Italian Sports Car Ever
Boasting 1,900 hp and 1,725 lb-ft of torque, the Pininfarina Battista – as its manufacturer claims – is the most powerful Italian sports car ever made. Before the Rimac Nevera snatched the title, the Battista was the world’s quickest production EV with a 0-60 mph time of 1.79 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 8.55 seconds.
Only 150 units of the Battista were produced, with a starting unit price of $2.5 million.
Performance Specs
| Powertrain | 4 electric motors with 120-kWh battery |
| Horsepower | 1,900 hp |
| Torque | 1,725 lb-ft |
| 0-62 MPH | 1.79 seconds |
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10 Most Expensive Luxury Cars In The World
These stupendously priced cars can have values that run well into the millions of dollars.
262022 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4: $2.6 Million
Highlights
- Vehicle Class: Hybrid Supercar
- Production Numbers: 112 Units
- Country of Origin: Italy
The 2022 Countach LPI 800-4 Is An Icon Reborn
For Lamborghini fans, the Countach is a name that holds a lot of historical significance. The original Countach debuted in the ’70s and set the supercar world on fire thanks to its futuristic wedge-shaped design and powerful V12 engine. This design language and V12 power combo was such a hit that it has influenced every Lamborghini flagship sports car since.
50 years after the original Countach debuted, Lamborghini decided to honor it with a special version of the Aventador known as the Countach LPI 800-4. One of the things to know about the new Lamborghini Countach is that it uses the same 803-hp hybridized V12 powertrain as the 2019 Sian FKP 37 and has styling elements inspired by the original Countach.
Performance Specs
| Powertrain | 6.5-liter V12+48-volt e-motor |
| Horsepower | 803 hp |
| Torque | 531 lb-ft |
| 0-60 MPH | 2.7 seconds |
252023 Mercedes-AMG One: $2.7 Million
Highlights
- Vehicle Class: Hybrid Hypercar
- Production Numbers: 275 Units
- Country of Origin: Germany
The 2023 Mercedes-AMG One Brings F1 Technologies To The Road
Red Bull has been dominating the F1 racing scene in recent years, with Max Verstappen obliterating every other driver in his way. However, that wasn’t the case a few years ago, as Mercedes-Benz was on top with the legendary Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel. To celebrate multiple championships, Mercedes-Benz decided to build a special hybrid supercar with various F1-inspired technologies, resulting in the Mercedes-AMG One.
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The Mercedes-AMG One is a testament to how far hybrids have come. It uses a complex hybrid V6 drivetrain that produces a combined 1,049 hp, allowing it to be one of the fastest hybrids ever made with a 219-mph top speed.
