HE was the surprise winner of Pop Idol, beating Gareth Gates in a hotly-contested final when nine million viewers cast their votes.

Now, with two number one singles under his belt and an album in the offing, the boy from Berkshire is one of pop's hottest properties and will be setting Ewood Park on fire at Sunday's Feel The Noise concert.

It seems like ages ago since more than 10,000 wannabes auditioned for Pop Idol in the winter of 2001. The UK watched intently as the now infamous panel of judges -- Simon Cowell, Nicki Chapman, Pete Waterman and Dr Fox -- told the contestants how it was in a fashion that never ever beat around the bush.

It was a gruelling task but finally the 10,000 became just 50. That's when viewers took over and it was their decision that chose the top 10 to go through to the final.

Despite Simon Cowell slating his performance, Will clinched a massive 41.5 per cent of the first round of public votes. But while Will was thrilled by his landslide victory, he wasn't feeling celebratory as the day before the show he went to the funeral of somebody close.

"It was very sudden and because of that I don't really feel as if I have the right to feel happy tonight," he said. "I'm so glad everybody proved Simon wrong. At first, I thought he might have been right, but when I saw myself on TV, I felt he'd got it wrong."

Then week after week the contestants sang their hearts out and got a taster of the music industry from recording studios to photoshoots, interviews to dance studios.

One by one viewers had to say goodbye to the contestants as each week it got more and more difficult to choose who should go. With just two contestants left -- Gareth Gates and Will Young -- the public was torn, but on February 9 the winner was announced. After nearly nine million people voted, clocking in more votes than the Conservatives got in the last General Election, the winner emerged as William Young, the 23-year-old student from Hungerford, and a new Pop Idol was born.

Before Pop Idol Will went to Exeter University at 19 and received a 2.2 degree in politics. He finished last summer and moved from Hungerford to London. He started to sing at university in productions as well as appearing on the catwalk in fashion shows and the occasional photographic work. Will's mother Annabel is a full time housewife and mother and lives with his father, a businessman in Hungerford, Berkshire. After singing on the show Will joked that his dad would have gone mad if he'd had to take Simon's insults and said "Annabel, get the shotgun!" Will has a twin brother Rupert (not identical). He also has a 26-year-old sister, Emma, who is studying English. She has a son called Jacques who is three years old. He spent the past few years in part-time restaurant jobs and has tried his hand at gardening and being a PA at Sony music.

He represented his school in rugby, football, basketball, athletics, long jump and triple jump.