WILL Young has revealed homophobes threatened to stab him for holding hands with his boyfriend.
The Pop Idol star, 41, said he was walking through the East End "about 14 years ago" when people started shouting at him and his then boyfriend Julian.
Speaking to The Times, Will explained: "I was wandering through the East End about 14 years ago, holding hands with my then boyfriend, Julian, and we had people shouting at us. Someone actually threatened to stab us."
Will was 23 years old when he won the first series of Pop Idol.
He came out as gay soon after.
The singer says he still has "to think about where I feel I belong, and where I might feel unwelcome or even unsafe".
He continued: "I’ve had people threatening to stab me and I once had someone shouting “queer” and “faggot” at me from a Vauxhall Nova outside a pub in Hampstead.
"Although on that occasion, I just shouted “faggot” back at them, so they got confused and drove off looking rather dejected.
"Someone also once rang my hotel room late at night to homophobically abuse me."
Will has written a book, To Be A Gay Man, in which he reveals his experiences and struggles to accept himself and his sexuality.
He said: “I genuinely do think it’s a book that’s needed because there is a lot of shame that hasn’t been worked through by gay people, and I don’t think that gay men are given room to work it out.
"But if you’ve had years and years of feeling bad about yourself and being told you are wrong, that doesn’t go overnight.”
The singer was left devastated by the death of his twin brother Rupert earlier this month, after years of battling mental health issues.
Rupert, 41, had spoken openly of the trauma he had suffered as a result of depression and alcoholism.
He said his relationship with Will suffered after his twin was thrust into the spotlight after winning Pop Idol in 2002.
A friend told The Sun: “Will’s relationship with Rupert had been tough over the years at times, and they had both spoken about the mental health problems which had made it challenging.
“But there were hopes he had turned a corner and they are a very loving family – and utterly devastated by his passing.”
To Be a Gay Man by Will Young, published on September 3 by Virgin Books (£16.99)
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