'My whole life terrified me'

As Robbie Williams embarks on a major tour, we celebrate the colourful career of the pop superstar

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With more than 75 million albums sold, a string of No1 hits and dozens of awards to his name, it’s fair to say that Robbie Williams is an icon of the British music scene.

"His impact in music is just extraordinary," says Gennaro Castaldo from the BPI, which oversees the UK recording industry and runs the annual Brit Awards. "Robbie is the most successful Brit recipient of all time, his Knebworth concerts were the largest the country has ever seen, and songs like Angels, Let Me Entertain You, Rock DJ and Millennium are part of our nation’s soundtrack."

In the 2023 Netflix series charting his journey, Robbie stated, “It’s astounding what’s happened in my life” — and that was certainly no exaggeration. Spanning 35 years, his career has included two stints in the UK’s biggest-ever boyband and a solo reign that’s taken fans of all ages with him. “Robbie has a unique cross-generational appeal,” says music writer and author Michael Cragg. “Young fans loved him in Take That, but their parents also loved him as a reminder of those twinkly-eyed, old-school British entertainers. His music has been in our ears for most of our lives.”

As Michael points out, Robbie’s outspoken and self-deprecating nature has also cemented his popularity. “He's always mixed a slightly dangerous, rock'n'roll edge with his trademark cheeky-chappie humour. His confidence verges on arrogance, but it’s underpinned by a vulnerability that everyone can relate to.”

Now 51, Robbie’s rise to the top began as a teenager in the early 1990s, when he swapped the classroom for a place in Take That. He joined four other young hopefuls from Manchester — Gary Barlow, now 54, Jason Orange, 54, Howard Donald, 57, and Mark Owen, 53 — and they went on to release hit after hit, including Pray, Relight My Fire, Babe and their biggest smash, Back For Good.