News of September 2004

30/09/04

FROM THE CONTACT MUSIC:

Pop hunk Robbie Williams will rival Madonna's infamous SEX book with his own tome - featuring images of himself completely naked. The Angels singer wanted to show off his toned new body, so posed for the raunchy pictures at unusual locations in Los Angeles, mimicking the Material Girl's notorious hitchhiker photo in one shot. He explains, "I'm very comfortable with my body. I know I'll never be rail-thin or a super-hunk, but this is the best shape I've been in for years and I figured 'Why not show it off?'" A source adds, "It's bound to make him a mint."

29/09/04

FROM THE STAR:

FIFA to take over World Cup opening Berlin: Football's governing body, FIFA, will have full responsibility for a pre-opening ceremony on the eve of the 2006 World Cup instead of the German government, a member of the organising committee said yesterday. OC supervisory board member Engelbert Nelle told Deutschlandfunk radio that FIFA had objected to a show run by the government of chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on June 8, 2006, in Berlin.
The World Cup kicks off the following day in Munich and runs until the final in Berlin on July 9, 2006. "FIFA insisted that it opposed a state-run event," Nelle said. FIFA seemingly aims to generate marketing and licensing income from the show which is to be broadcast worldwide. The German government has set aside 22 million euros for the huge party with a host of international stars in the Olympic stadium. Austrian artist Andre Heller has been approached to sign the likes of Robbie Williams and Eminem for the show. A spokeswoman for the interior ministry said that her body was in talks with FIFA and that the event would take place as planned. "We are talking about the conditions with FIFA and the organising committee. We will release further details in the near future," said spokeswoman Gabriele Kautz.

28/09/04

FROM THE SUNDAY MIRROR:

Robbie Williams has split from his latest girlfriend, I'm sad to reveal. He started dating actress Valerie Cruz last month and friends had hoped that she might turn out to be "the one" for the troubled superstar. But 30-year-old Robbie returned from Los Angeles to his apartment in London's exclusive Chelsea Harbour last week - and I'm told he is resolutely on single street again. So good luck, girls of Blighty....there's still a chance! My perfectly placed spy revealed: "It just wasn't meant to be. Robbie can never seem to find the perfect woman - and it's heart-breaking, because he longs to fall in love and start a family." Cuban-born Valerie, 28, who starred as pyschiatrist Grace Santiago in plastic surgery drama Nip/Tuck, started dating Robbie six weeks ago. They got on fantastically - but like so many others before, the romance petered out. Robbie has been previously linked to ex-Spice Girls Geri Halliwell and Mel C as well as actress Anna Friel. He was engaged to ex-All Saints star Nicole Appleton - and he announced on Friday's Jonathan Ross show that he fancies John Leslie's orgy-loving ex, Abi Titmuss. His last romance before Valerie was with Rod Stewart's estranged wife Rachel Hunter. In his new autobiography, Feel, lonely Robbie admits: "I just want to find somebody I can go home to."
Good luck Rob!

25/09/04

FROM THE SUN:

Randy Robbie Williams yesterday confessed he wants to bed Abi Titmuss - after hearing she had split from her funnyman boyfriend. And the shameless singer admitted he just wanted sex, not a relationship He could well fancy his chances as saucy Abi, 28, has already said he is her fantasy fella. Robbie, on a flying visit back to Britain, spoke out on Jonathan Ross's Radio 2 show.
The DJ told him ex-nurse Abi has broken up with Little Britain star David Walliams, 32 - days after the comic spoke of their "quiet nights in". Robbie told Ross: "Fantastic! I quite fancy Abi Titmuss."
Wossy suggested he go for a more serious girlfriend, but Robbie, 30, suggestively replied: "I don't plan to go out with her. I'm only here for a week and a half."
Abi, who had three-in-a-bed romps with shamed ex-TV presenter John Leslie and other women, recently named Robbie in her perfect orgy line-up. The glamour girl said: "For my dream orgy I'd invite Robbie Williams, Jude Law, the singer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Abi's fabby ... Robbie yesterday "Then I'd go for Britney Spears and Jenna Jameson, because she sounds like fun." Robbie also told Wossy he had bought land in Los Angeles and was building a football stadium - with stands - for a team of expats. He then revealed he is to have his sixteenth tattoo. He said: "I'm going to get the Eye of Horus on the back of my neck. It's an Egyptian symbol of protection." Forget Blind Date . . . The Sun's Doctor Lurve has subjected Abi and Robbie's personalities to a rigorous analysis. Here are his findings. And you can trust him - he's a doctor.

23/09/04

Pop hunk Robbie Williams feels guilty about the amount of money he earns from his pop career. The Rock DJ superstar signed a mega $144 million (GBP80 million) record deal in 2002 to stay with label EMI. And he confesses his wealth makes him so uncomfortable, he sometimes struggles to enjoy his success. He says, "I'm from a working class background and in the space of a few short years I found myself travelling on private jets and staying in really nice hotels - me and royalty. "A lot of the time I feel like I have to apologise for my success and justify what I earn."

23/09/04

Pop hunk Robbie Williams is searching for a girl who will tame his wild ways. The Rock DJ star developed a reputation as a party animal and has been treated in rehab for drink and drug addictions. But Robbie - who has dated model Rachel Hunter and ex-Spice Girl Ger HalliwellL in the past - insists his wild days are behind him and he's ready to settle down. He says, "I think underneath. What I'm really trying to say is 'Will somebody please come and fix me?'. If I find you, you'll fix me. "I have quite a romantic vision of what love is."

16/09/04

FROM CONTACT MUSIC:

Pop star Robbie Williams has confessed he dyes the hair on his head and chest. The Rock DJ singer is so desperate to stay young looking, he resorts to using bottled black dye to cover up all his grey areas. He reportedly told staff on the set of his latest video, "I'm grey almost all over. I've been grey since my early 20s and in a way, I have got used to it. "But pop demands that we sip from the fountain of youth as much as possible."

14/09/04

FROM CONTACT MUSIC:

Pop singer Robbie Williams has reportedly snubbed a £500,000 offer to play a gay man in a hit broadway musical. The star fears that if he takes the starring role in The Boy From Oz, it will fuel rumours he is gay, the Daily Star reports.He is so sick of gossip that he has already been driven to declare: "I'm not gay."  Sources close to Robbie said he has his sights set on breaking the US market but would only do so "in the right way". They say he does not want to be "typecast" as a gay character and hopes to land a more "macho role."
His agents have reportedly approached MGM studio bosses to see if they can get Los-Angeles based Robbie a part in the next James Bond movie. An insider told the paper: "Robbie was offered £55,665 a week for a 10-week run, but the character was blatantly homosexual and Robbie balked at that.
"There have been so many gay rumours surrounding him that he didn't want to get typecast as a gay character.
"He wants his first big role in America to be more macho."
Robbie, 30, would have taken over from Hugh Jackman in the show, which has smashed box-office records since it opened last October.

13/09/04

FROM CONTACT MUSIC:

Pop hunk Robbie Williams' male songwriter has accused the star of attempting a homosexual sex act on him. Ray heffernan, who co-wrote William's hit Angels, was furious the singer branded him a "quasi-stalker" in his new autobiography Feel, so has hit back by claiming the hit-maker consumed vast amounts of cocaine and whiskey at a New Year's Eve party in 1996 and then begged Heffernan to sleep with him. Heffernan reveals, "It was New Year's Eve, after Robbie got up to sing at a Boyzone concert in Dublin. We were doing a bit of coke ... and stayed up late drinking whiskey then crashed in the same bed. "At 6am I woke up and Robbie Williams was on top of me and he had his hands on me. He tried a certain sex act on me. He was fully awake. I turned around and went, 'Rob!' and he goes 'What?' 'What the f**k are you doing?' I said. "He kind of rolled over in a huff. We got talking and Robbie explained he didn't know about his sexuality. He told me that when Take That were 15 or 16, starting out, they were performing in gay clubs in London and that was a confusing environment for a teenager."

10/09/04

FROM CONTACT MUSIC:

Robbie Williams has further fuelled rumours surrounding his sexuality by offering an exclusive interview to a British gay magazine. The 30-year-old superstar has vowed to only give one interview to promote his autobiography Feel, and he's set tongues wagging by plumping for UK magazine Attitude. An insider says, "He's doing the Q+A at the back of gay mag Attitude and that's it."

10/09/04

FROM PLAYLOUDER:

Robbie Williams' new single is an utter shocker. Stoke-On-Trent's most famous son has delivered an absolute abortion of a record in another attempt to gain some credibility. 'Radio', which is one of the two new tracks for his impending greatest hits record, is an embarrassing attempt to jump on the eighties bandwagon, though Robbie sadly forgot to write a tune.
If 'Radio' is anything to go by he should be calling Guy Chambers right this minute and begging him to return. In fact he should offer to suck his cock should he refuse. Yes, it's easy to slag Robbie, but we'll admit, the dude has knocked out a couple of classics (no, not Angels you dwab) - though this is a dreadful atttempt to gain some sort of credibility and it's guaranteed to backfire. No Regrets is awesome - Talk!

08/09/04

Robbie ... splits the sides You rang in your thousands yesterday about Robbie Williams' new single, Radio - but the jury is still out on whether it will be a hit or a miss. While more than half of you - 52 per cent - thought it was OK, 48 per cent thought it dire. No doubt the news of our phone vote will give the Victor Meldrew of pop something else to have a moan about.

07/09/04

FROM BBC:

It looks like Brian McFadden sees himself as the next Robbie Williams. 'Real to Me' - his first solo effort since leaving Westlife is out this week. He's lost loads of weight, he's grown a beard and has been working with Robbie's former writing partner Guy Chambers. Brian told Radio 1 he thinks the comparisons are inevitable: "So many people wrote off Robbie Williams when he left Take That, and I think lots of people are left with egg on their face when Robbie became the biggest star in England." "I think people are giving me that chance because they don't want to make, you know, just in case anything does happen and I do become successful. I think they're just saying 'Let's just give him a chance and not write him off yet'."

07/09/04

FROM CONTACT MUSIC:

Pop star Robbie Williams reportedly fled to America when he discovered bullets had been fired at his British home. The Angel singer's Notting Hill, west London, house - which he shared with former songwriting partner Jonathan Wilkes - was the target of gunmen soon after he signed a $54 million (GBP30 million) record deal with EMI. And Williams - who was not at home when the incident occurred two years ago - was so terrified of becoming the victim of kidnappers, he escaped to a high-security lifestyle in Los Angeles, according to Britain's THE SUN newspaper. A pal says, "He was in London when the shooting happened and it really shook him up. He didn't say anything to those around him until a month later but privately he was completely freaked out.
"The more he thought about it the more he realised what a target he was. With a huge record deal behind him he was an easy mark for anyone wanting to make some money off him. "He had also had some crazy letters in his time and it crossed his mind that this could be an obsessed fan telling him to watch out." Williams recently put the property on the market for $12.6 million (GBP7 million).

07/09/04

Robbie releases his Greatest Hits album on 18th October 2004 The tracks span Life Thru a Lens, I've Been Expecting You, Sing When You're Winning, Escapology and two brand new singles `Radio' and Misunderstood'. Note: There will be two versions of the GH album - one for the UK (including Lazy Days) & one for the rest of the EU (including Better Man)

Robbie Williams - Greatest Hits (UK Version)
Old Before I Die
Angels
Lazy Days
Let Me Entertain You
Millennium
No Regrets
Strong
She´s the one
Rock DJ
Kids
Supreme
Let Love Be Your Energy
Eternity
The Road to Mandalay
Feel
Come Undone
Sexed Up
Radio
Misunderstood

Robbie Williams - Greatest Hits (EU Version)
Old Before I Die
Angels
Let Me Entertain You
Millennium
No Regrets
Strong
She´s the one
Rock DJ
Kids
Supreme
Let Love Be Your Energy
Eternity
The Road to Mandalay
Better Man
Feel
Come Undone
Sexed Up
Radio
Misunderstood

06/09/04

Robbie Williams is reportedly so scared of being confronted by fans, he will only walk his dogs in the middle of the night.
The Angels singer, 30, refuses to venture out in daylight in London because he is fed-up with being hassled by fans.
Paul Scott, who wrote Williams's biography Angels and Demons, says, "He's started walking his dogs in the middle of the night to avoid being hassled.
"He also found it impossible to indulge his love of football for fear of his fans."

06/09/04

FROM THE SUN:

No, your eyes are not playing tricks. This really is Robbie Williams, the Victor Meldrew of pop, smiling. The multi-millionaire heart-throb has been moaning about his hard life in new autobiography Feel. But he cracked his face for the first time in, well, as long as I can remember, in Los Angeles while having coffee with a pal. Might be something to do with the six-figure cheque the book has earned him.

06/09/04

Robbie Williams is influenced by former Queen singer Freddie Mercury and rocker Axl Rose when it comes to his stage persona. The Angels singer, 30, says his flamboyant act is a composite of other music stars meshed into his performance. Williams says, "I've stolen a lot of people's acts - Freddie Mercury, Axl Rose, Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Dean Martin, Eddie Izzard."

03/09/04

Singer Robbie Williams had a major crush on actress Cameron Diaz - until they met that is. In Robbie's new book Feel, which is out today (Sep 1) , he reveals he'd fancied the Hollywood babe for ages, but when he finally met her she reminded him of Zippy from the 70s and 80s children's TV show Rainbow. Robbie, 30, says: "She looks a bit like Zippy. Crush is over. I can get on with the rest of my life." After bumping into each other in Berlin last year, Robbie and Cam, 32, went go-karting.
But the sparks unfortunately didn't fly for the Robster, who was put off by her striking resemblance to George and Bungle's best mate. In his new book Robbie also reveals that he gave England wonder boy Wayne Rooney a special pressie when he came to see him perform at Knebworth last year. After Wayne presented Robbie with two signed shirts, Robbie vanished into his dressing room to find the footie star a gift.
"I couldn't find anything suitable so I got you a pillow, " Robbie said to Wayne.

03/09/04

Robbie Williams is back with a radical new single and you can hear the world exclusive first play of "Radio" on LAUNCH, we are delighted to announce. The track, an audacious return for the UK's greatest pop superstar, precedes Robbie's forthcoming Best Of, and finds him in playful, unusual territory. As he suggested earlier in the week in an extract from the biography "Feel", "Radio" sees him adopting a robotic, Kraftwerk-esque sound, alongside more familiar, cocky but theatrical lyrical territory.
You can hear "Radio" first on LAUNCH from 9am (GMT) on Friday, September 03. It will be accessible via a link from the home page from that time. Plus, from 5pm on the same day, you will also be able to see an exclusive extract from the video.
Hinting at the artistic change of direction in his book, Robbie was quoted this week, as reported on LAUNCH, that he intended to resurrect his career as a star called Pure Francis. He explained the background to the character: "Neil Diamond, but with a bit of Kraftwerk or Depeche Mode, he's not afraid to do a big chorus.
"I've got him as an alcoholic and an American. I think he's from Orange County, moved to West Hollywood and has not had a lot of luck."

01/09/04

Pop hunk Robbie Williams has blasted Dirrty singer Christina Aguilera for being "trampy".
The She's The One star likens Aguilera to a cross between hippy British activist Swampy and a transvestite in his shocking autobiography Feel, out today. Williams says, "She looks like a mix between someone in Trade (a gay London nightclub) at six in the morning and someone who's trying to save trees. "She's like a rock eco-warrior, trampy. She's a cross between Swampy and The Village People."

01/09/04

Best in Music, Movie and Celebrity News - Delivered the moment it happens Williams' Saucy phone Call with Osbourne Matriarch Pop hunk Robbie Williams got a shock after he heard Sharon Osbourne speaking dirty down the phone to him - until he realised the matriarch thought she was chatting to husband Ozzy. The former Take That star swapped numbers with wild rocker Ozzy after a successful first meeting and was horrified when he answered his mobile phone in a Los Angeles hotel to hear Sharon purring down the line - which has been revealed in Williams' forthcoming autobiography Feel. The book claims Sharon rang Williams asking, "Are you naked?" to which a bewildered Williams replied, "Yes". Sharon then declared, "I'm coming up," to which Williams admitted, "Sharon it's Robbie Williams."

01/09/04

Potteries superstar Robbie Williams will next month release his greatest hits album. Signal DJ Andy Goulding gives his verdict on the songs that will feature and fans have their say on Robbie's latest move
- Old Before I Die The first track on the album from his early solo years, this shows his indie influences from when he was hanging around with the Gallagher brothers. Essentially this is just a good pop tune with rock influences, and really reflects the changes he'd been going through.
- Angels Not necessarily my favourite Robbie tune, but this is the song that saved his career and launched him to become the massive star that he is. It's also now become one of the greatest love songs ever (and funeral songs), and the most popular at his live concerts, so much so he doesn't sing it - the audience does!
- Lazy Days This is early Rob, still trying to be an indie boy, and distance himself from the bubblegum pop of Take That. Not his best tune.
- Let Me Entairn You A song that must have been written just so he has something to open up his live gigs with, but what an opener. Big tune, very showbiz, packed with energy, if he had a theme tune, this would be it.
- Millenium Another great sing-along tune, classic Robbie. He knew he would get plenty of radio play with this by releasing it just before the year 2000.
- No Regrets This is one of those songs you don't hear that often, but when you do you realise how great it is. I love this early RW stuff, especially this one, I love how it builds to a great climax.
- Strong Again, classic Mr Williams. This also shows his strong song writing, with Guy Chambers, reflecting the insecurities that Robbie has in his life, and it's his honesty through his music that makes him appealing.
- She's The One Or 'cheesy one' as it could be known. Trying to emulate the classic ballad of 'Angels' standards with this, but not quite getting there. It's another popular one, if not a bit wet!
- Rock DJ Apparently Robbie hates this song, and it's his least favourite to perform. I, however, love it. It's a sharp contrast to the middle-of-the-road tunes he'd done at the time, a big song with a rousing chorus.
- Kids A great duet with Kylie Minogue, and they work well together with this bouncy rocky little tune. No wonder it sparked rumours of a romance between the two, as the chemistry comes across really well.
- Supreme One of the songs you easily forget about, a bit too much like a number of his other tunes.
- Eternity Is Robbie becoming boring? Another slushy track, I like rockin' Robbie.
- Road To Mandalay A great sing-along chorus, and you don't need to know the words. Although it's an original track, it shows swing influences he was doing at the time with 'Swing When Your winning'.
- Feel My favourite ever song from Mr Williams from my least favourite album of his. This is even better than 'Angels' and has far more emotion. It's a powerful heartfelt ballad, without being to ineffectual. This was the last song he wrote with Guy Chambers, and the first to be taken from his 'Escapology' album.
- Come Undone Again with many of his songs, they're true life stories and often reflect his personal life and weaknesses.
- Let Love Be Your Energy This would be the song I skip, I never really liked this one, a bit like he's trying to be the Beatles. Next.
- Sexed Up Another overly slushy ballad from the album I wasn't too keen on. He should have released the one about the monkey.
It's not until you look down at some of the songs he's released that you realise how many hits he's had, and they are good tunes.
The album will become essential to anyone, not just your average Robbie fan (who will already have most of the songs on his other album).
And just to make sure everyone will want it, the CD also features two previously unreleased songs, 'Radio', his next single due out in October, and 'Misunderstood' from the soundtrack of the new 'Bridget Jones - edge of reason' movie.

01/09/04

Sexy singer Robbie Williams infuriated his mother by making a bizarre will during his traumatic addiction to cocaine. The She's The One hitmaker put a clause in the document, insisting his divorced parents, Janet and Peter spent a week together in a tent in the Arctic before they received any of his money. He explains in his autobiography Feel, out on Tuesday (31AUG04), "I think I've seen too many films. I thought it was sweet and funny. It didn't make my mum laugh though

01/09/04

Pop hunk Robbie Williams will end his pop career - to make menacing electronic tracks under the name of Pure Francis. The She's The One singer wants to "kill off Robbie Williams" because he hates what he's become. He will now dress, eat and live as his new persona Pure Francis, who he's written an album for, which he plans to release in October (04) to go head-to-head with the Robbie Williams Greatest Hits CD. Williams explains in his autobiography Feel, out today (01SEP04), "Pure Francis will be Neil Diamond, but with a bit of Kraftwerk or Depeche Mode and he's not afraid to do a big chorus. I've got him as an alcoholic and an American. "I think he's from Orange County, moved to West Hollywood and has not had a lot of luck. I know he's been in a lot of pain. It's sort of 'my last go' kind of territory. None of the album's comedy. "I'm thinking about doing it with a false nose, a wig and everything and do the best album I've ever done. I'm actually thinking of spending some time dressing like him, eating like him, living like him. At the moment the album is called Diamond."

Older News