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Robbie on TOTP   29/07/03

His latest single 'Something Beautiful' has just hit the shops, he's effectively eclipsing his old ruck -mates Oasis at Knebworth this Friday, and, oh yes, he's the single biggest male pop star this country has produced in many a long year. What better excuse do we need to show you the Robster performing this double-x-rated track from his album 'Escapolgy' ? Speaking of Knebworth, Robbie fans, you're gonna want to set your videos for this week's Pops, as we're gonna be following the man himself around backstage at a few of his concerts in the run-up to Friday's enormo-gig. If you're really lucky, we'll get that all-important exclusive shot of a green-faced Robbie, becoming so overwhelmed with stage-fright that he sicks up on stage.

Buy Robbie's first house for £100k    29/07/03

FANCY owning the house where ROBBIE WILLIAMS was born? The two-bedroom family home could be yours for around £100,000. Owner Sam Evans is asking for offers of more than £99,950 for the house where the singer lived for the first two years of his life. The spacious pad in Victoria Park Road, Stoke-on-Trent, has a front lounge, dining room, sitting room and back garden. Robbie fans will be surprised to hear that his first home was in such a posh area. Sam told me: “When Robbie was born, this was an affluent neighbourhood. “Lots of doctors and lawyers lived on the road, which is odd because everybody thinks of Robbie as a working class hero. “Most people think Robbie was born in the Red Lion pub but his birth certificate has my address as his home — he moved to the pub when he was two. “There were three bedrooms when Robbie was here but apart from that the lay-out is absolutely identical to how it was.” While Sam is inviting offers from anyone, she reckons the National Trust should buy her home — and turn it into a Robbie shrine for his fans to visit. Meanwhile, BBC1’s documentary There’s Only One Robbie Williams left me wondering if there are any decent pop pundits around any more? The programme featured “expert” insights by such showbusiness heavyweights as TOBY ANSTIS, WILL MELLOR, JON CULSHAW and BRIAN HARVEY. Obviously these are, ahem, the showbiz pals who know him best. The programme’s only saving grace was real celeb pal TOM JONES.

Robbie LIVE at Knebworth!! Live on the web, on Tv and the radio!!   29/07/03

The Robbie Williams European Tour has already steamed through 8 countries, covering thousands of miles, and has gathered momentum like an avalanche... Finally, the tour is crashing into Knebworth this weekend for an unprecedented 3 nights, and for all of you who aren't actually going to be at the legendary venue - here's how to catch it!! *** LIVE and direct on SATURDAY 2nd August throughout EUROPE & BEYOND on MSN!! *** LIVE on Channel 4 on SATURDAY in the UK! *** LIVE on Radio 1 on SUNDAY in the UK! Radio 1 are also running Robbie's interview with Sara Cox throughout her show this week, as well as giving tickets away during the daytime shows. Watch out for Chris Moyles' show on Friday as he'll be live from Knebworth to catch the build up - he'll be chatting to Jonathan Wilkes & Max Beesley - and who knows who else might turn up! Checkout the KNEBWORTH FEATURE here : http://www.robbiewilliams.com/music/features/knebworth/knebworth.html Keep checking back as more details are added later this week!

BBC Radio 1 Interview    29/07/03

All this week on Breakfast, we're bringing you the results of Sara's weekend in Amsterdam with Robbie Willams... well, not all of it - that'd be far too messy - but the juciest titbits from her interview with Mr Pop! Each day you can listen again to that morning's interview, and here at Radio 1 Online on Saturday we'll bring you the whole lot, with added extra bits that we just can't cram into the daily Breakfast Show highlights As a teaser, here's what you can hear at Breakfast all week: Monday - An introduction from Robbie, a chat about Amsterdam, the tour, and the "lovely" Sabine... Tuesday - Out and About in Amsterdam, the happy pills, stresses, drinking and going missing... Wednesday - Tattoos, handling the press, breaking America, having children... Thursday - Sex! Friday - "Songbird", the private jet...! If you missed the interview on Breakfast, you'll be able to hear it here, and catch the extra "uncut" version from Saturday!

Flabby Williams?     28/07/03

Round Robbie Williams is reportedly hoping the Atkins Diet will help him shave off his extra pounds. The diet apparently requires you to eat lots of sushi, tiger prawns and tuna and is recommended by celebrity stick people like Geri Halliwell and Renee Zellwegger who look so undernourished they make us want to force feed them pies for their own good. The Sun quotes a Robbie insider thus: "Robbie is desperate to lose weight. He is living on sushi and has ordered his chef not to serve food with carbohydrates." It seems Noel Gallagher's jibe that Robbie was "the fat dancer from Take That" has finally hit home. Robbie recently revealed that he is taking anti-depressants and that "they've screwed up my metabolism. I run and walk miles but the weight won't come off." But Robbie, you look fine mate, stop fretting. Every rock god should have love handles, it's in the job description!

Blonde Who groped Me  28/07/03

ROBBIE Williams also reveals today how a sexy blonde fan GROPED him during a concert. He had picked the woman out of the audience in Amsterdam and was astonished when she started molesting him. The singer says in his Sara Cox interview: “I picked a good-looking one out of the crowd. She gets up on stage, puts her hands down my pants, her tongue down my mouth and she was trying to rip my vest off. “At one point she was locked like a vice grip and writhing with me. “I’ve tried to pull her off and sit her next to me but she straddles the top of me and starts grinding. “Normally this wouldn’t be a problem — but there’s 60,000 other people there.”

Big Head Gobbie Williams   28/07/03

BIG-MOUTH Robbie Williams boasts today that he is as big a star as Michael Jackson and Madonna. The former Take That singer compares himself with the king and queen of pop — despite being a flop in America. Robbie, 29, failed in TWO attempts to crack the lucrative US market. But the idol, who is on a European tour, says in a Radio 1 interview recorded with Sara Cox: “Every now and again I ask myself who else plays stadiums ? “The Jacksons, Madonna, U2, and I go, ‘Bloody hell, I must be that big’. I’m a bit giddy with success. I mean that in a very humble way.” The British star has had five UK No 1s since quitting Take That in July 1995. He has sold 28 million records worldwide, and signed an £80million deal with EMI last year. By comparison, Jacko, 44, has shifted more than 47 million copies of his Thriller album alone and had seven UK chart-toppers. Madonna, 44, has sold more than 140 million records and had nine No 1s in Britain. Music fan James Bowen, 25, of Reading, Berks, said: “Robbie has some cheek comparing himself with Michael Jackson and Madonna. They are icons.”

New Stock in Robbiewilliams.com on-line shop!    28/07/03

The full range of European Tour Merchandise is now available in the online shop! Already flying out of the shelves have been the '03' and 'No. 8' ranges, including the tracksuit as seen on Robbie's own back on tour - but now the full additional range of tour-Ts have been added! As seen sported by Robbie on the left here, the brilliant range, based on the tour's on-stage graphics, includes the 'Devil' T, the 'Love/Hate' T, and several others centred around the 'tour logo' including a very sassy black ladies number... What are you waiting for - check out the full range !

"She's Writhing with me"      28/07/03

Robbie Williams has told how he had to fight off a fan who tried to molest him as he played live - by putting her hands down his trousers. The singer was performing at Amsterdam Arena when he dragged a beautiful woman called Sabine from the audience to the stage. But speaking about the incident for the first time he said he regretted his actions when she started writhing on top of him. In an interview with Sara Cox on Radio 1 being broadcast on her Breakfast Show, he said he has been regularly inviting members of the crowd on stage. "I got one out one night and she'd not washed and she smelt, quite frankly," he said. But picking out Sabine he thought: "I'm going to have a good time here so I picked a good looking one. "She gets up on stage and she puts her hands down my pants, her tongue down my mouth and she was trying to rip my vest off and I'm singing, trying to maintain the fact that these people think I'm a bit cool. "At one point she was locked like a vice grip and she's writhing with me."

Robbie Williams tells of fighting off fan       28/07/03

Robbie Williams has told how he had to fight off a fan who tried to molest him as he played live - by pulling her by the hair. The singer was performing at Amsterdam Arena when he dragged a beautiful woman called Sabine from the audience to the stage. But speaking about the incident for the first time to Radio 1 he said he regretted his actions when she started writhing on top of him. In an interview with Sara Cox being broadcast on her Breakfast Show, he said he has been regularly inviting members of the crowd on stage. He said: "I got one out one night and she'd not washed and she smelt, quite frankly." But picking out Sabine he thought: "I'm going to have a good time here so I picked a good looking one. "She gets up on stage and she puts her hands down my pants, her tongue down my mouth and she was trying to rip my vest off and I'm singing, trying to maintain the fact that these people think I'm a bit cool. "At one point she was locked like a vice grip and she's writhing with me. I've tried to pull her off and sit her next to me but she straddles the top of me and starts grinding - now normally this wouldn't be a problem, but there's 60,000 other people there so I try to pull her hair to make it look sexy but I'm actually trying to pull her off of me." Williams also said he realises he has now reached the Madonna and Michael Jackson proportions in terms of the audiences he can attract. "When you're in the middle of a storm you don't actually know how big it is. And every now and again I ask myself who else plays stadiums? The Jacksons, Madonna, U2 and I go, 'bloody hell, I must be that big'. "You can't get a perspective of what it is or who you are or what your fame's like because you're not looking at it from the outside. I'm just a bit giddy with my own success at the minute. I mean that in a very humble way," added Williams who begins a three-night stint at Knebworth in Hertfordshire on Friday.

Robbie LIVE         22/07/03

One of Robbie Williams's sell-out shows at Knebworth House is to be screened live by Channel 4. The chart star is playing a three-night stint to 375,000 fans at the outdoor venue, with the second night being aired on TV on August 2nd. The show is a coup for the station after Williams worked closely with the BBC with TV specials to launch his last two albums. The singer has picked up rave reviews for his lavish shows, his most ambitious live performances to date. The former Take That member joins a select band of superstars who have headlined Knebworth, dubbed the stately home of rock. Acts such as the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen and Oasis have played the Hertfordshire venue. Channel 4's head of music, Jo Wallace, said: "We're delighted that Robbie has chosen Channel 4 and are extremely excited to be making history by broadcasting his live concert in its entirety on a terrestrial channel for the first time. "Having seen him play live, I can promise our viewers that Robbie is on fantastic form and will undoubtedly make it a night to remember." The channel will screen the entire show lasting around two and a half hours.

Robbie Heads Celeb Gig  21/07/03

Chart hunk Robbie Williams will head a long list of top celebrities from the music and fashion worlds at a concert in aid of The Prince Of Wales' charity. The singer will return to the Royal Albert Hall for the show, featuring with Victoria Beckham and Sir Elton John, among others. Liz Hurley will host the event, called Fashion Rocks, on October 15 when 18 of the world's leading fashion houses will work with leading celebrities. The idea is to fuse catwalk and concert and Robbie will be strutting his stuff for the designers as well as performing. He last appeared at the venue in October 2001 to premiere tracks from his Swing When You're Winning album and he said at the time it was a dream come true. It is not yet clear whether Posh will be singing or simply modelling for the evening. She has previously posed on the catwalk for one of her favourite designers Maria Grachvogel. Also taking part is Bryan Ferry - and David Bowie will be beamed into the show by satellite. Top designers taking part include Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Julien Macdonald, Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney and Versace. They will showcase catwalk collections accompanied by live music from a star performer. Sir Tom Shebbeare, chief executive of The Prince's Trust, said: "Fashion Rocks is a hugely exciting fundraising event for The Prince's Trust. "Music and fashion is a powerful combination and the fantastic support we have received from long-standing Trust supporters like Nicholas Coleridge, managing director of Conde Nast, and icons from the world of showbusiness will help us to give even more young people a second chance in life." The charity has helped 450,000 young people since it was established in 1976. Tickets for the show are now on sale.

Robbie Headlines Charity Spectacular   21/07/03

Robbie Williams is to return to the Royal Albert Hall to headline a show for The Prince Of Wales's charity. He features on the bill with Victoria Beckham and Sir Elton John for a fashion and music event for the Prince's Trust. Liz Hurley will host the event, called Fashion Rocks, on October 15 when 18 of the world's leading fashion houses will work with leading celebrities. The idea is to fuse catwalk and concert and Robbie will be strutting his stuff for the designers as well as performing. He last appeared at the venue in October 2001 to premiere tracks from his Swing When You're Winning album and he said at the time it was a dream come true. The show also prompted a huge number of complaints from viewers when it was shown on BBC1 for its bad language. It is not yet clear whether Beckham will be singing or simply modelling for the evening. She has previously posed on the catwalk for one of her favourite designers Maria Grachvogel. Also taking part is Bryan Ferry - and David Bowie will be beamed into the show by satellite. Top designers taking part include Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Julien Macdonald, Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney and Versace.

There's Only one Robbie Williams      16/07/03

A new documentary, "There's only one Robbie Williams" will be aired in the UK on July 27th, BBC1

It's Nearly Wall Over For Robbie  12/07/03

ROBBIE WILLIAMS was forced to flee the stage during a gig at the weekend when a giant video wall threatened to topple over on him. Robbie was performing in Mannheim, Germany, when a technician ran on to warn him. The star — in the middle of his European tour — had to wait in his dressing room for 15 minutes as workers made the set safe. Ever the joker, Robbie returned wearing a builder’s hard hat. A source said: “Rob had been on stage for nearly an hour when someone spotted the video wall wobbling about. “There was a chance that it could come down, injuring Rob and people in the front few rows. It was decided that he should come off stage while it was fixed. But to make sure he didn’t lose all the atmosphere, Rob returned wearing a hard hat to get a laugh. It worked.” Because of the delay, Friday night’s crowd of 65,000 only heard two more songs before the gig finished at 11pm. Robbie has had an eventful German trip. I told you last week how he went go-karting with CAMERON DIAZ after they bumped into each other in their Berlin hotel.

Comet Awards 12/07/03

Robbie is nominated for the Comets Awards, for categories INTERNATIONNAL ACT and LIVE ACT. The ceremony will take place on August 15 in Kholn on the channel TV Viva.

Pop Idle     11/07/03

Ever wanted to know the key to making it in the heady world of pop? Well don't bother asking Robbie Williams then, because he's as much help as Craig David in a half-price hat sale. The Robster told the Daily Mirror that all that jetset living, champagne and fancy hotels is just not worth the effort, which we can only assume is what he was feeling when recording 'Escapology'. lt's especially bleak if you like your pop on the manufactured side, as Robbie explains: "I know Take That were a manufactured band but it's all gone too far. These shows promise fame and fortune but they just chew people up and spit them out." Just in case anyone's spirits were left undampened, Robbie doused all with more mopey wisdom, saying: "People don't realise how fleeting it can be. In the end, they are being humiliated for mass entertainment." Sheesh! Sounds like Mr Williams needs a holiday.

Robbie In Daze With Diaz   09/07/03

Robbie Williams' love life is hotting up after rumours he is dating Charlies Angels beauty Cameron Diaz. The British singer sent her heart racing after the pair went full throttle on a day out at a go-kart track. It was the second time the pair had been seen together since Robbie admitted fancying the actress during an interview on American television. They spent the day driving around the circuit in the German capital Berlin, where Robbie is performing and Cameron is promoting her blockbuster movie. A spokesman for Robbie told the Daily Star: "I can confirm they went out on Monday night. It was a private event they both happened to be at." But according to the newspaper, pals of the couple have admitted the racing day was a real date. Last month they were spotted on a beach in Santa Monica, California. Sunbathers claimed to have seen the pair openly kissing.

Robbie Williams Wants Another Chance With Kidman  09/07/03

Cheeky British pop star Robbie Williams was "too shy" around glamorous movie star Nicole Kidman when they recorded a song together - and wants a second chance. Robbie who remade the Frank and Nancy Sinatra classic ‘Somethin’ Stupid’ in 2001 with the Moulin Rouge star, which raced to the top of the charts in Britain. And despite rumours of a romance between the gorgeous pair at the time, Williams now admits he was too timid to try and date the elegant redhead. He says, "At the time I felt I was just little me and she was this screen goddess. It scared me. Now I'm on really wicked medication and it stops me being shy. I think I'm great all the time. I'd have no problems this time if I got another chance."

Robbie Carts Off Cameron     09/07/03

ROBBIE WILLIAMS and CAMERON DIAZ have been on an intimate date — go-karting. The liaison will infuriate Cameron’s boyfriend JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE who is touring in the US. Robbie considers Justin his biggest chart rival and admits he fancies the actress. The couple bumped into each other in Berlin’s Four Seasons hotel. The pair know each other from Los Angeles and Cameron was so pleased to see a familiar face she leapt at Robbie’s invitation to go for an evening’s racing. The teetotal singer is in the German capital for two gigs while Cameron is promoting Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle with pals LUCY LIU and DREW BARRYMORE.A friend of Robbie’s said: “They bumped into each other in the bar and decided it would be fun to go karting. “They headed off to a posh track in the Spandau area of the city and had a great time. They both have very bubbly personalities and bounce off each other. I don’t really know if there was much romance involved but who knows what might happen?” Flash Robbie has hired a jet costing £160,000 a month to fly him around Europe. The plane has RW on the tail, a double bedroom and games lounge. Rock and roll.

Escape-Hotel-Ology   05/07/03

You would have thought that having a £20million record deal in the bag would make you quite generous with your spondoolies. Well, that's not the case for Robbie 'Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves' Williams. According to the tabs, the Bobster switched hotels ahead of his gig in Germany this weekend because he was refused a 50% discount. It was originally gonna cost him a colossal £20,000 to book into the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel in Munich, with his 30 strong entourage. Hotel honcho Christoph Mares told the Current Bun: "We are not prepared to play these games with superstars who want to haggle." Actually, Robster, you kind of have a point there. We're pleased to hear that your pop wallet didn't come undone...

Manufactured Miracles-You Decide    04/07/03

When it comes to the latest Robbie Williams video you can be sure its always going to break new ground, and the new video to Robbie's current single Something Beautiful (flying high at radio right now), is no exception... On a sunny Saturday in May, hundreds of fans from all around Europe, answered the call to perform 'as Robbie Williams'. No sound-alikes or look-alikes required, the request garnered a whole range of wannabes, all up for the chance to appear in a Robbie Williams video. In a reality-tv spoof, the fans took part in a series of first round auditions to find the finalists of a 'Robbie Idols' style competition. At the end of the day 3 'finalists' were chosen, to be trained for a week for the final 'showdown' the following Saturday. However the cameras had been following all the fans who entered the competition from the moment they entered the door... and hence the video is a tightly packed miniature reality-tv spoof from start to finish. Behind the fun though is a serious comment, and as Robbie himself says: "I know Take That were a manufactured band but I think it's all gone too far nowadays. These shows - you know which ones I mean! - promise fame and fortune but they just chew people up and spit them out. People don't realise how fleeting their moment of fame can be. In the end, they are being humiliated for mass entertainment." The three lucky chosen finalists all entered into the ironic spirit of the show, aptly named 'Manufactured Miracles' and enjoyed living a showbiz lifestyle of limos, champagne and parties for a week. So finally, it's now up to you to decide who wins... The video will be playing on the Escapology Microsite! from Monday 7th July! As well as their condensed appearances within the video, you will be able to see extra footage of each of the 3 contestants; Peter, Rebecca and Bjorn. Simply vote for the contestant you would like to see win! The full-length version starring the winner voted by RobbieWilliams.com visitors will be featured on the site from Monday 14th July!

My Bum Night With Hunky Rob     30/06/03

Robbie Williams slipped off his jogging bottoms to show a fan his bruised thigh - just before undressing her at his new £2.5 million London penthouse. And as Robbie laid Samantha Hudson across his cream linen sheets, he gazed down at her thong and said: "You've got a peach of a bottom." Then he admitted; "You're the first girl to share this bed with me. I haven't had sex in ages." Samantha, a 23-year-old heiress, who bought a flat close to Robbie's with an inheritance from her uncle, said: "He certainly didn't seem out of practice. I've seen the stories with those questions over his sexuality but believe me, Robbie is 100 per cent man. There's no way he's gay. When Robbie sat straddled across me, running his hands up and down my shoulders, it felt lovely. And he's a great kisser. Really, slow, but very passionate." Robbie, who started his European tour in Edinburgh last night, asked for Sam's phone number after spotting her in Chelsea's Bluebird restaurant a week last Thursday. Soon after she got home, he was on the phone, inviting her round. "Robbie opened the door wearing black jogging bottoms and a black T-shirt." she said. "Then he asked if I wanted a drink. I suggested wine, but Robbie said, "Oh I don't drink, all I've got is Evian, orange juice or coffee." Soon Sam and Robbie were stretched out on the sofa in his lounge. And as she reached down to slide off her shoes Robbie noticed a large bruise on her upper thigh . . . and ran his fingers gently over it. "I told him I'd fallen down after performing this drunken karate kick on the King's Road," she said. "Then he pulled down his jogging pants and told me he'd injured himself too, rehearsing for his latest tour. Then we just started kissing and Robbie's hands began to wander all over my body. Pretty soon he asked me to take off my top and started kissing my boobs. He said they were lovely, just the right size for him. it was at that point that I suggested we go into his bedroom. He kept asking me, "You're sure you feel comfortable?" which was nice. I remember lying down on Robbie's cream linen sheets and thinking how comfortable they were." By now Sam was virtually naked. "Robbie started to pay particular attention to my G-string," she said. "He told me he found my bum really sexy and began planting firm kisses on my buttocks. By now Robbie was wearing only a pair of boxer shorts and I could see that he was very aroused." It was then that he asked her if she fancied a massage, straddled the small of her back as she lay down and began stroking her shoulders. "Robbie then started to ask me questions about my favourite sexual positions. You could tell he was really keen to please me. I told Robbie that I loved to be in control. A broad grin broke across his face. Then he lay back and shut his eyes as I massaged his body." Sam could feel his muscles beneath her fingers. Robbie hasn't always been in the best of shape and commented on his physique. "I told him I was impressed and he said he'd bought a treadmill a few months back and had been doing a lot of work on it." she said. After nearly two hours of fore-play Sam had a surprise in store. "Robbie was quite obviously expecting to finish off the night with some full-on sex," she said, "but I decided it was time to break the news to him that I don't do it on the first night. He admitted that not many girls he'd been with said no to sex. Then he said, "Well, I'm definitely going to have to see you again then." This weekend, a spokesman for Robbie confirmed: "He is aware of this girl. We have no further comment to make." Sam added: "Of course I'd love to spend another night with him. We'll definitely bump into each other because we live so close. He's one of the loveliest men I've met."

Robbie: Anti-Depressants are a saviour!     30/06/03

Robbie Williams may look like he has it all, but behind all the smiles and wacky gags, lies a very unhappy man. In fact, he's so depressed that he's currently having to get through the day on anti-depressants. Luckily most of us can't imagine what horror he must be going through, but in this month's new Q magazine, he lets us know exactly how he's feeling right now. And be warned, it ain't pretty! "My depression isn't about stuff," he explained. "I don;t think anyone truly understands it. It's not about the pressures of this or the pressures of that. I used to think it was. But when they went away, it was just about being physically an mentally ill." So what would life be like he stopped taking his medication. Not good apparently. "If I didn't take them, the Sh*tty Committee would be up an hour before me planning how they were going to f**k me up. What I was going to hate about myself that day. It would be, 'Good morning you are sh*t! You are a w*nker! You are a charlatan and they already know you are a charlatan. Oh and you know you haven't got a girlfriend? Because you are socially inept.' And that's before I brush my teeth!" While the pills keep Robbie balanced mentally, he does admit that they have wrecked his keep fit regime. "Those antidepressants have screwed up my metabolism," he explained. "It's slowed right down. I run miles on the machine or walk miles and the weight won't come off. " Robbie's new single Something Beautiful is released in July!

Robbie Tops Best Voice Poll     30/06/03

Robbie Williams and Christina Aguilera are the country's top karaoke idols, according to a new poll. They were chosen as the stars with the most enviable singing voices in showbiz. Asked which male star they most wanted to sound like, Williams came out on top closely followed by arch rival Liam Gallagher. Aguilera topped the women's poll and pop queen Madonna was runner-up. The poll of 1,000 people for radio station Century FM revealed that veteran stars like Rod Stewart and Annie Lennox were still popular choices, alongside more recent chart acts such as Justin Timberlake and Beyonce Knowles.

Robbie's Scot the Lot     30/06/03

Robbie Williams has kicked off his UK tour with a steamy stage show in Edinburgh. The flamboyant ex-Take That star took to the stage before a packed Murrayfield Stadium and told 55,000 people: "Let me entertain you." Dressed in black with a white tie, Williams gave an energetic performance with the crowd of screaming fans enthusiastically joining in. Williams, sporting a huge grin, lapped up the rapturous applause and embraced the crowd with a vigorous rendition of his current hit single, Come Undone. Later, he shared the giant video screen with a chimpanzee for the song Me and my Monkey. The concert started with a dramatic entrance by the popstar. Mimicking the cover of his Escapology album, he was lowered onto the stage hanging upside down by a wire. The entertainer continued to thrill Murrayfield with a little help from his friend, British actor and musician Max Beesley, on piano. The duo performed the classic Mr Bojangles and hit song, She's the One. A smaller platform then led Williams further into the crowd. At this point he picked up one young girl from the crowd below and danced with her in his arms before wrapping himself in a Saltire and shouting, "Scotland I love you". Later, as the pace got more heated, he took his trousers off during a provocative performance of Kids, before he again took the stage wearing a camouflage kilt.

l ink l'm Wrong, Son...    30/06/03

ROBBIE has had a tattoo he won’t be too keen to show off. He had the time of his birth etched on his body — but thanks to his mum Jan it is WRONG. Two senior aides talking about the tat were heard to say: “Robbie was in the tattoo parlour and phoned his mum and asked her the exact time he was born. “She told him but accidentally gave him completely the wrong time. She called him back later and corrected herself but it was too late, the tattoo had been done. He sees the funny side and isn’t at all bothered.” Last night Robbie refused to confirm if the cock-up involved the numbers 1023 which he recently got inscribed on his left wrist. It was at first thought they were to signify the positions in the alphabet of the initials of his best pal JONATHAN WILKES. For the record, Robbie was born on February 13, 1974 — but don’t ask me what time.

Robbie Buys Wolf     30/06/03

DOG lover ROBBIE WILLIAMS is never one to do things by half he has bought himself a pet WOLF. The singer has named the creature Sid after the dead Sex Pistols legend SID VICIOUS. A bit unfair on the wolf because despite their cruel reputation, they are gentle, intelligent creatures. And unlike certain rock stars they are faithful to their partners and mate for life. Robbie is having a new place built near his Los Angeles mansion so Sid and his pack of dogs can live like pampered pooches. At the moment, Sid roams free around Robbie’s sprawling home on a luxury, gated estate. But the star, who launched his European tour on Saturday night before 65,000 fans in Edinburgh, wants the wolf to have huge grounds. A pal of the star said before the sell-out gig: Robbie absolutely adores dogs. He loves their loyalty and the fact that they will never let you down. He is also obsessed with wolves. He thinks they are beautiful, intelligent and great companions. When he heard you can buy your own pet wolf in America, he leapt at the chance. Sid cost thousands of dollars but Robbie thinks he’s worth it. He thinks Sid is the mutt’s nuts.” Or not. Because poor Sid has been neutered. Unlike Robbie.