Singer Will Young has spoken out for the first time about his twin brother Rupert's suicide ahead of a new documentary. Rupert Young, was 41, when he tragically died after falling from Westminster Bridge in London on August 2, 2020.
His death came a few days after paramedics saw him walking along the edge of the same bridge and he was admitted to hospital. Pop Idol star Young spoke at the inquest into Rupert's death, but has not spoken publicly until now.
He told BBC Breakfast about how his brother had made more than 20 suicide attempts over a number of years, but the family and never been able to get him sectioned and admitted that while he misses his brother, "I don't miss the alcoholic".
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Rupert had been living with Will for four years, and the singer said that towards the end of his brother's life he became his carer and would often have to clear up "sick, urine and faeces" in the mornings.
"He was my twin brother and he probably struggled with alcohol from about the age of 18," he told Colin Paterson on Friday. "I don't think alcoholism is spoken about enough and it is important to speak out about what it is like to live with someone who has alcoholism in the family, and what that can do to a family.
"We are a very private family but we were all on the same page about wanting to tell our story in a non-sensationalised way to show with people that they are not alone. It is a complex thing, because I miss my brother, he was my twin and my best friend, but I don't miss the alcoholic."
He also talked about trying to navigate a National Health System that he described as being "woefully underfunded".
"Three days before he died, he was brought into the hospital, threatening to jump off Westminister Bridge, and he wasn't even seen by an assistant psychiatrist, and he left, and he killed himself," Will explained. "And I have heard this story so many times.
"Feeling suicidal is not deemed strong enough to be sectioned. That seems extraordinary to me."
Admitting that he had felt suicidal himself, Will praised the work of the Samaritans for helping him and being on "speed dial".
Asked about how difficult it was having his brother living with him, Will said: "It was difficult, but it is amazing what we do out of love for people. I just didn't want my brother to die. In the end I didn't manage to keep him alive, and that is part of my grief process.
"There is only so much I can do for someone, There is only so much any of us can do for someone."
Will's parents appear in the documentary about Rupert's death and a short clip shows his dad saying how his heart still sinks when the phone rings late at night.
The last time Will saw his brother, he hit him, and the singer has had to come to terms with that.
"I elbowed him, and he deserved it," says Will. "I was so angry, but I remember thinking 'if this is the last time, I don't want it to be some sort of film moment and regret it', and luckily I have done enough therapy to be strong enough to know that that will not be my everlasting memory of my brother.
"The film we have made is a lasting legacy which shows who he really was - the most extraordinary man who struggled at lot of the time, and still did extraordinary things. It is really important to talk about things which is why I have done this documentary."
For confidential support the Samaritans can be contacted for free around the clock 365 days a year on 116 123.
