WILL Young's sold-out show at the Villa Marina last night proved what a charming star he is, writes our isleofman.com correspondent...

The performance-based reality show format has come under fire for dominating the schedules and making bigger stars of the judges than the contestants.

There is so much criticism it is easy to forget that at the heart of shows like the X-Factor there is some genuine talent.

In the Villa Marina's Royal Hall on Friday night the elder statesman of the format gave a 90-minute show which reminded us all of just why he was crowned the first Pop Idol winner.

It seems hard to believe that it has been more than eight years since a fresh-faced Will Young took an unlikely victory from Simon Cowell's favourite and perfect pop star package Gareth Gates.

But the maturity, confidence and wealth of familiar hits Will brought to the stage on his first visit to the Isle of Man showed the former politics student has learned a lot in the intervening years.

The evening got off to a rocky start - doors should have opened at 7pm, but instead the audience was held in the foyer or, for an unfortunate number, outside, huddling for shelter from the rain.

An hour later than expected, the doors opened and the sell-out crowd surged into the hall, keen to take their places before the performance, scheduled for 8pm, started.

Instead, the increasingly-frustrated audience found itself waiting another 60 minutes, as the temperature in the Royal Hall soared, before Will's band finally took to the stage.

No announcement was made to explain the apparent delay, or offer any apology, and rumours circulated like wildfire - Will's flight had been delayed, leading to a late sound check; his band nearly didn't arrive and plans for an acapella concert were being formulated; the planned support act failed to show, leaving the stage empty until 9pm.

Some, all or none of this may be true, we don't know because the promoters who asked for £45 for tickets didn't tell us.

However, for me at least, Will's show quickly banished any resentment.

The rapturous welcome he received showed perhaps the delay had built anticipation rather than diminished it, and he rewarded the packed Villa with a string of his greatest hits and a truly energetic performance. Pop Idol, chart stardom, theatre work and movie appearances have helped the singer hone his craft.

He commanded the stage, bringing an infectious enthusiasm and a beaming smile which showed what looked like genuine delight at the welcome he received - it was either genuine pleasure or he really is a good actor.

The set featured his biggest hits - Switch it On, Changes, Friday's Child, Who Am I, Let It Go, Grace, Your Game and so on - showing this is one product of the reality show format who has managed to move beyond the TV show and become a star in their own right.

He cannot, of course, ignore the fact that he came to public prominence thanks to Pop Idol and there was a nod to the show with his rendition of The Door's classic Light My Fire, the song which helped make him a genuine contender on the programme.

Some may have been disappointed not to hear Evergreen or Anything is Possible - the "winner's" songs and Will's first release, which became the fastest selling debut single in UK chart history - but Will Young has moved beyond the show which launched him and has much more to offer than generic, chart-friendly pop.

His remarkable voice was near faultless throughout the show, perhaps helped by clever pacing of the slow and fast numbers, the spacing out of the powerhouse tracks and the interaction with the audience.

If anything, his interaction with the audience broke the pace of the show too much. Claiming he'd been unable to learn about the Island before arriving after failing to get an internet connection, Will said he would invite members of the audience up on stage to tell him facts about the Isle of Man.

The two ‘guest’ appearances could have been funny, but felt a little laboured and tacked on, actually losing some of the atmosphere he had worked hard to build up with his singing and dancing.

Appropriately, Will, wearing an odd light-covered outfit after a quick costume change, closed the show with Leave Right Now, bringing the curtain down on a thoroughly enjoyable night out.

People can scoff at performers who find fame through reality shows, but thanks to Pop Idol and, it pains me to say it, Simon Cowell, Britain has a genuinely talented, engaging and very charming star who is completely at home on stage - a class act.

There were plenty of highlights, but I'm going to take the chance to mention a personal lowlight of the evening.

A young lady who chose to stand behind me spent the time before the band appeared shrieking about how excited she was and had been waiting years to see Will Young, then spent the full 90 minutes of the show apparently trying to compete with the singer's volume as she chatted to her friends about anything and everything other than him and then brought her evening to a close by engaging in a pushing and shoving match with other concert-goers during the closing number, a tussle which, eventually, security had to deal with.

Congratulations, £45 well spent.

In a bizarre coincidence, this same woman had sat directly behind me during the first evening of the Bay Festival and had demonstrated then her extreme vocal talents by taking on, and frequently beating, Lemar, The Saturdays and JLS - I can only hope we don't meet again.