Row stops Will singing on Top of the Pops

New chart star Will Young is set to score an unenviable distinction on TV’s Top Of The Pops after a bust-up between show bosses and his record label.

The 23-year-old singer will become the first number one artist in the programme’s 38-year history who is in the country and available to appear on the show, but has been barred from appearing in the studio.

It stems from a disagreement between show chiefs and Will’s record company BMG about how long he should appear for on the Friday night BBC1 programme.

Now it looks like a video of the Pop Idol winner will be used instead of a live appearance in the studio.

The singer’s representatives had insisted the chart show screen him singing both tracks from his double a-side single, Anything Is Possible and Evergreen.

But TOTP chiefs did not think it was fair to devote so much of the half-hour slot to Will, the Hungerford politics graduate who is only at the start of his career.

And they were unhappy at Will’s label trying to dictate editorial policy for the show, by laying down rules about how many songs he must perform.

A spokeswoman for the show said: ‘‘It would have meant a quarter of the show being devoted to one artist and that wouldn’t be fair on the other artists.

‘‘It’s the first time since the show began that the number one artist has been available to do Top Of the Pops but has been prevented from doing so.’’

Michael Kelpie, TOTP producer said: ‘‘It’s a very sad day for pop music but the door is still open for Will. We would love to have him on the show as long as the record company drop their unreasonable demands.’’

A show source said: ‘‘We have had stars like Jennifer Lopez and Madonna on the show and they may have made demands about their dressing rooms but they have never tried to interfere with the editorial policy.

‘‘As it is the BBC we can’t be seen to be under such commercial pressures. We know that Will is gutted about this.’’

A spokeswoman for Will did not wish to comment.