Young invited on to Question Time

Singer Will Young has been invited to appear on BBC political programme Question Time after saying he was a fan of the show.

After revealing to Radio 5 Live's Simon Mayo that he would love to go on the show, programme editor Gill Penlington rang in to offer him an invitation.

Penlington said she would be delighted to have Young on the show "at his nearest possible convenience".

The 29-year-old singer has a politics degree from the University of Exeter.

Young and Mayo had been discussing whether the singer had any plans to release a political song given his educational background.

"I don't think so because I don't see myself as an expert - I'm just a singer," Young said.

"Although I'd love to go on something like Question Time, I do have opinions on it, but that's not my job description."

Fifteen minutes later, Penlington made the surprise call making the invitation.

When asked how much she would pay Young for his appearance, Penlington said he would be paid "precisely zero" because of the credit crunch.

The singer is currently promoting his new album, Let It Go.

A full interview with Will Young will be published on the BBC News website on Friday 3 October.