Robbie Williams a "part-time" musician

Feature by Cover Showbiz | 05 Nov 2009

35-year-old singer Robbie Williams releases his new album, Reality Killed The Video Star, next week. He finds live performances nerve-wracking, but credits girlfriend Ayda Field with keeping him calm. "I've taken the pressure off myself, it's a part-time gig these days," he explained. "The missus keeps me grounded." Robbie, who has spent time in rehab, is confident his new outlook will keep him healthier in body and mind. He revealed his substance problems stemmed from the crippling nerves he suffers before big shows, which is why he has decided to scale back on performances. He told talk show host Jonathan Ross: "The decision was made for me, I've always been very nervous... 80,000 people, it's an unnatural thing to do. You don't know what's going on in my head. "It's traumatic, really scary. I ended up in rehab again, it was, 'What are you doing to yourself?' I thought it's time to break the cycle." Robbie added he is certain he will perform with his old Take That bandmates Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange again in the future. Showing off a newly-scribed tattoo of Take That's logo on his wrist, Robbie said: "We've got together, done bits and bobs. I can't say much, but yes, I hope so."