Will Young shares agony of twin brother’s addiction struggle and suicide: ‘I did everything I could’
Will and Rupert Young (Getty/Emma Peios)
Will Young has open up about the death of his twin brother Rupert in a heart-wrenching documentary. Warning: suicide and addiction.
In Channel 4’s Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert, the “Leave Right Now” singer discussed the life and death of Rupert Young, who tragically died by suicide aged 41 after battling depression and alcohol addiction.
Before his death, Rupert lived with Will sporadically for three years. Will had reported him as a trespasser and had him removed from his home days before Rupert took his own life, saying the living situation was “affecting his wellbeing”.
“At the end, he would be drinking 24 hours a day,” Will Young explained in the documentary.
“You’ve got this monster who’s not moving. So, the only thing was to throw him out but also to be aware he might end up killing himself. I was OK with everything I’d done to try to help him.”
He also shared his experiences of being Rupert’s carer before his death: “My day would start. Either he was sick or he would have peed on the sofa, so I’d have to clear that up, then go get more beers and codeine because he was addicted to painkillers.”
Rupert passed away on 30 July, 2020. St Pancras Coroner’s Court was told he had been admitted to hospital four times in the week prior to his suicide.
Recalling Rupert’s last weeks, Will Young said: “I had a big moment where I realised I couldn’t save him and that brought a whole lot of grief. Now I just feel very grateful that I got 42 years with him.”
“I did everything I could to not let him die”, he continued.
Channel 4’s commissioning editor, Rita Daniels, said that the broadcaster is “very thankful” to Will for platforming the “sensitive and difficult topic of addiction”, according to the Radio Times.
She added: “We hope Will’s profound tribute to his brother will go a long way to helping those going through similar issues.”
Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert airs at 10pm on 10 May.
