It is seven years since Will Young shot to fame as the winner of Pop Idol. Now, at 30 and after four studio albums, he has rolled out his greatest hits for Christmas.

And, while on former tours he has perhaps been keen to ignore his reality TV past, at the NIA last night he was happy to acknowledge the origins of his success.

He even encored with his first hit, Evergreen, a song that has been significant by its absence during previous visits to Birmingham.

Young has matured into a singer with an impressively broad fanbase. He clearly feels comfortable in their company, indulging in a gossip between songs on subjects ranging from memories of his Pop Idol tour to Airfix model-making.

And there is no denying his talent. He was pitch perfect for the 90-minute set, with classics like Leave Right Now, Who Am I and Grace mixed with a smattering of covers, incuding a tender version of the Buzzcocks’ Ever Fallen in Love and a wonderfully sophisticated jazz cover of Tears For Fears’ Everybody Wants To Rule The World.