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30/6/03
Robbie buys wolf -The Sun
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.

30/6/03
Robbie's tattoo: a mistake? -The Sun
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.

30/6/03
Double Duets for Robbie and Ms. Dynamite -Popdirt
The Scottish Daily Record reports Robbie Williams is set to record two more duets with Ms Dynamite. They recorded a version of Robbie's hit 'Feel', but Ms Dynamite was furious when he dropped the duet for a solo version without telling her. But they've made up and plan to do two new songs.

30/6/03
Vote for best dressed male pop star -Popdirt
Vote for Robbie as the best dressed male pop star. he needs votes, he's lagging behind!! Vote here.

29/6/03
Robbie's pals parents hit out at gay slurs -Sunday Mirror
SHOWMAN Robbie Williams kicked off his European tour last night with a spectacular upside down entry - as his best friend's father insisted the two lads were straight.
"People ask me they are a pair of poofs and the answer is no. No, no, definitely no," bristles Graham Wilkes, father of Robbie's best friend Johnny.
Ex-soccer ref Graham, 54, speaks with the same stern authority he must have shown when he waved a red card. Then, perhaps thinking this sounds a bit brusque, adds: "Of course if it did turn out he was gay, it wouldn't make any difference. Whatever makes him happy in life, that's our only wish. But I wonder why two men can't be close friends in the way two women can."
As he speaks Johnny's mum Eileen says adoringly: "Isn't he gorgeous?" as she smoothes out a picture of Jonathan in black satin corset, suspenders, laddered fishnets and high heels.
"Tell me what mother wouldn't be proud of a son like him. He has fantastic legs. Look at the shape of that thigh when he does his high-kick. You can tell he was an athlete."
We're flicking through the programme for The Rocky Horror Show, which has made Jonathan an overnight West End star. Prior to that his biggest claim to fame was as Robbie's "flatmate" and "best friend".
"We've become used to the gossip and innuendo," she says. "They talk about Jonathan and Rob and always put quotation marks round the words flatmate and best friend, and there's only one reason for that. Hint, hint, all the time.
"When it first started, I sat Jonathan on the settee here and asked him outright: Is it true what they say, that you and Rob are gay? He looked me in the eye and said, 'Mum, it's our running joke, you know what's true, but let's keep them guessing'. I know how many girls he dated as a teenager - Donna, one of his exes got married recently - and I can guess how many hearts he must have broken.
"He was just 10 when his gran caught him kissing a girl in the shed. She blackmailed him for years, always threatened she would tell his Mum what she'd seen if he didn't behave himself."
In fact Eileen insists the four-year romance between 24-year-old Jonathan and blonde dancer Nikki Wheeler, 22, is serious and for the last two years Nikki has worn a hefty diamond engagement ring. The couple plan to marry as soon as their work schedule allows, reveals Eileen. Nikki is dancing in Robbie's current tour and Jonathan is about to take over as host of TV's You've Been Framed. Nikki and Jonathan have already moved into a house in Chiswick, West London, so his days as Robbie's "flatmate" appear to be over.
"He has been head-over-heels in love with Nikki for four years," Eileen says. "He came home one weekend and said he had found someone special. Now Jonathan is a very private person, so I knew it must be serious.
"He keeps so much to himself that it was only through reading the papers I found out he has had a tattoo done - to match one of Robbie's - high on his leg.
"I sat him on the settee again, and I said 'Oh Jonathan, whatever made you spoil your beautiful body like that? You'll always regret it'.
"But he just said it didn't matter, it wasn't anywhere where anyone would see it. Well, I should think Nikki will. "She has made their new home really beautiful and she's keen to have children and so is Jonathan." There could be a wedding within the year. Now, who would be likely to be best man? Graham says if he were a betting man - which he is, and a racehorse owner too - he would put his money on Robbie.
Four-year-old Jonathan and eight-year-old Robbie became friends after their mothers met - Eileen and Jan Williams were both leading voices in the local operatic group in Stoke.
When teenage Robbie was whisked away from home to sign up with the first of the tailor-made boys bands Take That, they kept in touch.
And when Jonathan moved to London four years later, chasing his own singing career, they began sharing a house in Notting Hill that became known as Pop Towers.
When Robbie made his bid to conquer the American market, he took Jonathan with him.
Their matching tattoos, the numbers 10 23 for Robbie, and 18 23 for Jonathan stand for letters of one another's initials in the alphabet...JW and RW.
Last week Eileen and Graham were in the fourth row of the stalls watching as Jonathan made his West End debut as the brash, scarlet-lipped transvestite hero Frank N Furter - and a few seats away, cheering him on, was Robbie. "There's never been any trace of envy between them, and never will be," Eileen said. "They have both worked hard. They have both learned success has a downside too, don't forget. Robbie's battle with drugs is well known, and it's a very private business that I don't want to go into.
"But Jonathan would come home sometimes, and he would be in tears, to have seen his friend in that state. "Sometimes they used to pace the room together all night, when Robbie was trying to win his battle, and he would say to Jonathan, 'This is never going to happen to you. I'm going to make sure it won't'.
Next month Jonathan begins filming You've Been Framed. Next year, there's the possibility of another musical show.
Eileen and Graham follow his career with excited devotion. They saw 20 performances of The Rocky Horror Show when it was on tour, driving from one end of the country to the other. The greatest night was in the West End.Graham confesses he stood on the theatre steps for minutes on end, just gazing up at his son's name in giant letters over the door.

29/6/03
Robbie tops best voice poll -Ananova
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.

28/6/03
Exclusive! Robbie has a message about his new video -EMI Australia
Yet another fantastic concept has arisen from the Robbie camp for his new video for 'Something Beautiful'. This time the star has taken a back seat and let his father find 3 people to play Robbie in his new clip....but we'll let Robbie explain that to you. Click here for the preview.
EMI Australia have set up this exclusive preview however I could only listen to the video, not watch it, if you can't watch it either, keep checking back, I will email EMI and tell them that there is only sound.

28/6/03
Robbie Williams: Anti-depressants are a saviour -RW United
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. "

28/6/03
Another installment of 'Angels and Demons' -from Tania
Yet another installment to 'Angels and Demons'. Click here.

28/6/03
Watch Smart commercial -RW United
You can watch the Smart car ad that Robbie appeared in here.

28/6/03
Weirdest rumors for Robbie and Jewel -Popdirt
Jewel has a light-hearted view of her imperfect teeth. Asked by Us Weekly what the weirdest rumor she had heard about herself, the singer responded, "That I had my teeth made this way on purpose." They posed the same question to Robbie Williams, having trouble cracking America, who responded, "That I was going to be on the cover of Us Weekly."

27/6/03
Robbie Williams hires 72 room hotel -thanks to Jackie
This could be publicity for the hotel more than anything else. Robbie has 140 staff with only 72 rooms -who's bunking with who? Also does the manager know that Robbie is tee-total? Judge for yourself!
Robbie Williams has hired the whole of his favourite hotel in Vienna to avoid being disturbed by fans.
He will take over the 72-room Hotel Triest for his concert at the Ernst Happel Stadium on July 4.
And the star has reportedly asked for an exact replica of the bar to be built backstage at the gig.
Concert organiser Alex Nussbaumer said: "Because Robbie has completely fallen in love with the bar at his favourite Vienna hotel, we now have to build an exact replica backstage at the stadium."
He added: "I have already sent Mr Williams brochures about our museums and famous sights at his request."
Williams, who usually stays in the Hotel Triest's luxury suite when he is in Vienna, hopes to avoid autograph hunters by booking the entire hotel, according to Austrian magazine News.
The Triest has 72 rooms, an Italian restaurant, a fitness centre complete with sauna and solarium and a tail bar called the Silverbar.
The singer is expected to fly into Vienna from Paris on July 3, accompanied by an entourage of 140 and to stay in the capital for three days.

27/6/03
Next installment of 'Angels and Demons': 'Cleaning up his act after booze binge' -from Tania
Click here to read the next installment to the biography 'Angels and Demons' by Paul Scott.

27/6/03
Robbie Williams autobiography -Sify
Disgusted with a barrage of unauthorised biographies, Robbie Williams wishes to set the record straight. The singer is taking up the pen to record the story of his life, his own way, as an attempt to hit back at a string of unofficial accounts of his life, reported The Sun.
The former `Take That' member is expected to go public about his romance with Rod Stewart's ex Rachel Hunter. He is also likely to talk about his battle against depression, terrible mood swings and fight against drug and drink addiction.
Canning most of the photographs himself on a small digital camera present with him on all occasions, his mate and journalist Chris Heath is expected to pen down words straight from Robbie's mouth."This is going to be the ultimate Robbie book. Quite frankly he is sick about reading other people's accounts of his life.He feels if any one is going to tell the story then it may as well be him," a pal of Robbie's was quoted as saying.
Ranging from his childhood days to his 'Take That' years and his fight against addiction, the book will tell about his new life in the States and reveal details about his lovers. It is also slated to be a real insight into Robbie's life which is becoming increasingly private."
Among the episodes likely to be featured are Nicole Appleton revealing about their aborted child and photographs of him and Rachel Hunter, cavorting in the raw.
A couple of the recent biographies have claimed to have told the "truth" about Robbie's recourse to drugs and his flirtation with homosexuality, egging the singer on to have the last word.

27/6/03
Let me intertwine you -TOTP
Now, can there be any doubt that a coupling between Robbie Williams and Kelly Osbourne would be one that could rock the foundations of popland to its very core, if only it were given the chance. According to the Daily Mirror, all mum Sharon wants is for Kelly and Robbie to get all cosy an' that, after becoming a firm friend of the cheeky chappie during his spell in LA. Kelly told the tab: "If I went out with Robbie it would be like every day was Christmas for Mum. She loves him." Come on guys. Think of the children! Hmm, on second thought...

27/6/03
Bootleg warning -Edinburgh News
Trading standards chiefs are to launch a major crackdown on Del Boy-style street traders selling bogus Robbie Williams merchandise at the star’s eagerly-awaited shows in Edinburgh this weekend.
Officers are to go undercover in a bid to catch bogus traders in the act, amid fears they will be travelling to Murrayfield from across Britain in a bid to cash in on the concerts.
But illegal traders are not the only ones who need to be on their guard. Motorists are being warned illegally parked vehicles will be towed away, with teams of Enforcers touring the area.
Fans are being urged to steer well clear of anyone selling unofficial T-shirts, posters or programmes en route to the stadium.
City council officials today warned them that not only are they likely to end up with vastly inferior "cheap" products, but that they could be putting cash in the pockets of money-launderers or drug dealers.
The city’s trading standards department is vowing to seize any unlicensed merchandise it comes across and report anyone caught selling it to the procurator fiscal.
Full houses of 55,000 are guaranteed for the two shows this Saturday and Sunday, which became the fastest selling in Scottish concert history after all the tickets were snapped up within hours of going on sale in November.
The city council believes bootleg traders are likely to flock to Murrayfield in the hope of making a killing from fans caught up in the excitement of the occasion.
Mike Drewry, the authority’s director of consumer services, said: "This has all the hallmarks of a big occasion likely to attract people selling counterfeit goods.
"We’re going to have a presence both at the stadium and also in the environs of Murrayfield on both Saturday and Sunday, when our officers will be undercover.
"They’ll basically be looking for any counterfeit merchandise on sale and our simple warning to people thinking of selling anything is ‘we’ll see you in court’.
"People might think they’re getting an official Robbie Williams tour T-shirt but what they tend to end up with is a vastly inferior product rather than one of genuine quality.
"It can very often shrink or come apart at the seams after just a couple of washes. We have the power to seize any goods we suspect to be counterfeit for use as possible evidence in court and we are quite prepared to report people to the procurator fiscal.
"People should ensure they only buy official merchandising from the licensed stalls in and around the stadium."
Meanwhile, Robbie fans travelling by car to Murrayfield are being warned they face having their vehicles towed away for parking illegally.
The city council is drafting in teams of its Enforcer parking attendants to ensure traffic is allowed to flow freely and that no-one flouts strict parking regulations which will be in place over the weekend. Limited parking will be available at the stadium itself while on-street parking will be allowed in some areas.
A council spokeswoman said: "A number of road closures and parking restrictions will be in place around Murrayfield.
"Drivers are asked to comply with police instructions, follow the diversion signs and take note of the parking restrictions."
The spokeswoman said anyone parking illegally could have their vehicle removed and may have to stump up £105 to retrieve it.
A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said all streets where parking is restricted will have yellow cones and signs along their length indicating that parking is not permitted.
Fans are urged to allow extra time for their journeys to Murrayfield if travelling by car and to consider travelling by either train or bus to the concert.

26/6/03
Life thru my own book -The Sun
ROBBIE WILLIAMS is writing a warts-and-all autobiography to hit back at a string of unofficial accounts of his life.
The singer is fed up with the spate of unauthorised biographies and is desperate to set the record straight.
He will finally tell the truth about his romance with Rod Stewart's ex Rachel Hunter, his fight to beat depression and mood swings and his battles against drug and drink addiction.
Robbie is even taking many of the photographs himself — on a small digital camera he carries around with him all the time.
On Monday night he was seen snapping away at the 30th anniversary of the Rocky Horror Show in London’s West End.
A friend of Robbie’s told me at the aftershow bash: “This is going to be the ultimate Robbie book.
“His mate and journalist Chris Heath will put the words on paper but everything in it is from Robbie’s own mouth.
“Quite frankly he is sick about reading other people’s accounts of his life. “He feels if any one is going to tell the story then it may as well be him. “There will be chapters about his childhood, his years with Take That and his fight against addiction. He will tell all about his new life in the States and spill details about his girlfriends. Robbie finds it very difficult to trust people now and very, very rarely gives in-depth interviews.
“So the book will be a real insight into Robbie’s life which is becoming increasingly private.”
The star will continue to work on his autobiography throughout his massive European tour which begins this weekend in Edinburgh.
It will give fans a unique insight into his life on the road. When the book of Britain’s biggest pop singer is finished, it is sure to spark a furious bidding war between the major publishing companies.
Experts say it will most likely be auctioned off for millions and add to Robbie’s growing fortune.
The gripping account will also cover episodes like when he found out Nicole Appleton had spilled the beans on their aborted child and the photographs taken of him and Rachel Hunter frolicking in the nude.
Recent biographies have told the “truth” about Robbie’s drug taking and his flirtation with homosexuality.
Paul Scott’s Angels And Demons tells how Robbie allegedly offered his mum cocaine.
And Robbie’s Secrets by Virginia Blackburn — to be released next month — tells how his father walked out on him.
Now Robbie is making sure he gets the last word.

26/6/03
Shaken Robbie hides in a cupboard -Daily Star
Robbie Williams was back in the closet last night after his minders came to blows with photographers. The rehab Romeo had a brush with violence while at the theatre watching close pal Jonathan Wilkes cross-dress for The Rocky Horror Show, and had to hide in a broom cupboard. Having politely waited for Wilkes' character, Frank N Furter, to die, Robbie tried to leave London's Queen's Theatre, but waiting paparazzi were immediately on his tail. 'I just want to leave before the rest of the audience does,' griped Robbie attempting to flee the scene of the tranvestism. 'I've got to go.'
Tenacious photographers were hot on his heels, however, and had chased him all over the theatre before minders stepped in. Then things turned uglier than Wilkes in a dress, when a new member of Williams' entourage began to grapple with a snapper. Using himself as a porky human shield - 'Whoa, whoa! Come on guys, calm down' - Robbie protected the paparazzo, then, worried he might get swept up in the fight, fled for the safety of a backstage broom cupboard. Safely ensconced in his hidey hole, Robbie explained to the photographer: 'Look, he doesn't know mate. Give him a break - he's only been doing the job for a week. He doesn't know about all this kind of stuff.'"

26/6/03
Something Beautiful release date for Australie -from Tania
The third single from Escapology, 'Something Beautiful', will be released in Australia on July 28th. No details as to a cover yet or bouns CD features.

26/6/03
NRJ boradcast on 29th June -from Tania
Reports from RWUnited say the the NRJ radio interview will be broadcast on the 29th June. Not sure on times, so check their website at www.nrj.fr

26/6/03
Robbie's elusive life through a lens -from Tania
You can now read two more extracts from the biography 'Angels and Demons'. To read parts 2 and 3 click here.

26/6/03
Build a skyscraper for Robbie -thanks to Shilo
Visit www.geniusatwork.co.uk/topdogcity.htm and help build a skyscraper for Robbie Williams. The site needs ten bricks dedicated to him before the skyscraper can be built.

25/6/032
RW to star in Unicef film -Rueters
British pop star Robbie Williams will appear in a United Nations film aimed at raising awareness in Britain about child trafficking, the U.N.'s children's agency UNICEF said Wednesday.
It said it was releasing a three-minute film featuring Williams reading a poem describing the sale of children into prostitution as if they were an exotic fruit.
Child trafficking involves transporting and exploiting unwilling victims, often for sex work or hazardous labor, said UNICEF. The U.N. believes 1.2 million children are trafficked each year, it added.
"Child trafficking destroys the lives of children. Robbie's support will help UNICEF to raise public awareness about this child rights abuse and bring it to an end," said UNICEF UK Director David Bull.
Human trafficking differs from other people smuggling in that it involves people who are not consenting or do not understand what is happening to them. Children and their families are often given false assurances that the child will receive an education and a better future elsewhere, UNICEF said.
It estimated thousands of children were trafficked to Britain each year, mainly from West Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, adding that it wanted the UK government to provide specialist care and protection for the victims.

25/6/03
Enormous mistake? -CBS news
Whatever they may say in public, however cool they pretend to be, every British rock band wants to do what the Beatles and the Stones did back in the sixties. Cross the pond and conquer America.
Ten years ago, I tramped around the States in the wake of a boy band called Take That, as they did everything they could to capture the hearts and minds of your younger generation. They didn't.
One of their number was a feisty, funny guy called Robbie Williams who returned to Britain and pretty soon afterwards went solo. Now he's a massive star.

Wel, he is here in the UK and across Europe, in South America and down under in Australia. In your country, love and respect him as I do, Robbie Williams couldn't even get arrested. And that's the problem for EMI. Remember EMI? The record label that signed The Beatles and watched in disbelief as the cash tills across America overheated? Even before The Beatles, EMI had a great legacy. They made Caruso a star at the beginning of the LAST century and for a hundred years and more, they've taken talent and made it great. Well, this time, they may have made a big mistake. So convinced were they that Robbie Williams would become a big star in the States that they splashed out big time on his contract.
Robbie was to deliver four albums for a hundred and thirty million dollars in return. It was the biggest ever UK record deal and almost as big as that crazy deal your record industry did with Michael Jackson back in the days when his records flew out of the shops. But Robbie's records haven't sold in the States. In fact, you can get his latest CD in a Florida store, discounted by sixty percent. Next week they'll probably pay you to buy it.
The result? The direct result is that the third largest music company in the world has seen its shares tumble, two thousand jobs go to the wall and four hundred acts dropped from the roster. The record company that brought you The Beatles isn't down and out yet, but it's in a parlous state and, America, it's your fault. You didn't rush out and buy Robbie's albums and I'm here to tell you, they're pretty good. Listen. If you want to thank us for all our support over Iraq, then remember the British music industry and don't just say "Robbie who?" Join the minority and proudly buy a Robbie Williams album today ... while they're still on sale.

25/6/03
Rob does a flash on stage -thanks to Jackie
ROBBIE WILLIAMS could do with an enlargement as he flashes this tiny, er, camera at fans. The joker whipped it out on stage to snap the delighted audience during his set at a Paris festival. Also on the bill of the weekend show at Champs de Mars park were SIMPLY RED. Robbie jetted to Britain yesterday to prepare for his UK tour, which starts in Edinburgh on Saturday. The singer is a spokesman for children’s charity UNICEF and he has made a short film to highlight the horror of child trafficking which will be shown at his gigs.

25/6/03
Time for a sing-song -from Tania
Review of the Fetede la Musique in France which Robbie performed in. Click here.

25/6/03
Bid for a night in Paris -from Tania
Bid for 'A Night With Robbie', two tickets to see Robbie Williams in Paris on July 2nd plus a Robbie Tour jacket. Travel first class on Eurostar and stay at the luxurious Hotel Bristol in the centre of Paris. Prize kindly donated by David Enthoven & Tim Clark at IE Management, Ian Huffam, Mason Rose, The Hotel Bristol, Eurostar. Bids can be received until 12 noon Thursday 26th June on admin@nrfr.co.uk

24/6/03
Heaven sent hit that gave Robbie solo wings -Edinburgh News
The Edinburgh News have an exclusive extract from the Robbie Williams biography, 'Angels and Demons'. The extract talks about the success of the hit song 'Angels'. To read it click here.

24/6/03
Robbie supporting role for Rocky Horror Pal -thanks to Jackie and ananova.com
Robbie Williams showed up to support best pal Jonathan Wilkes at the opening of his West End musical. The singer turned up with his dad Pete Conway and actor friend Max Beesley to see the production of the Rocky Horror Show, which is celebrating its 30th year. Wilkes, who once shared a home with Williams, stars as transvestite Frank N Furter in the cult show at London's Queen's Theatre. Williams is currently rehearsing for his tour which kicks off in Edinburgh at the weekend. He playfully mocked photographers as he arrived at the theatre by taking pictures of them with his own camera. "They're for a coffee table book of photographs I'm doing," said the Come Undone singer. Other guests at tonight's first night included weathergirl Sian Lloyd and her I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! co-star Catalina Guirado

24/6/03
Knebworth DVD -thanks to Jackie
One of the Knebworth gigs (1st to 3rd of August) will be released as a DVD at the end of 2003. The information comes from the 2003 tour programm.

23/6/03
Robbie rehearsal runner -TOTP
Robbie's about to embark on a sold out tour to support his album Escapology, but he's reportedly been doing some escapology of his own, a little early. The Daily Star reports that he's been skipping rehearsals to hit the town with his mate Max Beesley. Elstree Studios are booked for a whole week and Mr Williams was supposed to be showing up every day, but apparently half the time he's not around. The paper quotes one disgruntled employee thus: "Robbie just went AWOL for half the week. None of us ever know what he's doing or when he's going to turn up. As far as everyone here has been told we're supposed to be rehearsing every day, which is pretty difficult to do when the lead singer isn't here. We end up rehearsing without him while he's off God knows where doing God knows what!" Rob's offical people insist that all is going fine and the tour will be a blast, and we don't doubt it. But could it be that the Robster is reverting to his old style, hard-partying days? The answer will be in the waistline, and we'll be watching!

23/6/03
Finding Nemo drifts ashore -thanks to Jackie
Finding Nemo, the latest Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film, is an underwater adventure of a father fish that is separated from his son and must embark on an epic journey to bring him back home. The original motion picture soundtrack will be released by Walt Disney Records on May 20, 2003.
Pixar Animation Studios, the Academy Award®-winning creators of Toy Story, A Bug’s Life and Monsters, Inc. dive into a whole new world with Finding Nemo. The film follows a comedic and eventful journey of two fish - Marlin (Albert Brooks) and his son Nemo (Alexander Gould) - who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef when Nemo is unexpectedly taken far from home and thrust into a fish tank in a dentist’s office overlooking Sydney harbor. Buoyed by the companionship of a friendly-but-forgetful fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), the overly cautious father embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic journey to rescue his son - who hatches a few daring plans of his own to return safely home. Additional voices are provided by Willem DaFoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush and John Ratzenberger.
Written and directed by Pixar's Oscar® nominee Andrew Stanton, who co-directed the 1998 Disney/Pixar hit A Bug's Life and is credited as co-screenwriter on all four of Pixar's previous features, Finding Nemo sets a new "high water mark" for the art and technology of computer animation with its incredible underwater world populated with memorable characters. John Lasseter (Pixar's executive vice president, creative) serves as executive producer.
Finding Nemo marks composer Thomas Newman’s first foray into composing for an animated feature film. A Grammy® winner and Oscar®-nominated composer, his credits include Road to Perdition, American Beauty, The Shawshank Redemption, The Player and the Title Theme to the HBO series Six Feet Under. “I was very scared to do it; I'd never done animation before,” says Newman. “My cousin Randy [Newman] has done the four previous ones. That was a daunting thing to come up against, because I so enjoyed his music.” Newman continues, “The film looks at the father-son relationship from the father’s perspective…making this a film geared to children but from the perspective of the parent. It also shows how these beings live together in nature.”
The Finding Nemo soundtrack features Brit rocker Robbie Williams’ version of “Beyond the Sea”, taken from his 2001 release Swing When You’re Winning. The song, which Bobby Darin originally made famous, perfectly captures the mystical nature of life underwater. Since leaving Take That in 1995, Williams has had numerous hits around the globe and has sold over 27 million records worldwide. His newest album Escapology was released in the United States in April 2003. The Finding Nemo Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is scheduled for release on May 20, 2003 on Walt Disney Records. Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo opens in theatres nationwide on May 30, 2003. All Walt Disney Records and Buena Vista Records audio products can also be ordered by visiting DisneyRecords.com.

23/6/03
Greatest Hits album? -thanks to So Sincere on the forum
In the Sunday Star there was a mention that Robbie might release his Greatest Hits album in the US and Canada..not sure if this is true or just filling space...

22/6/03
Robbie feature in The Express -thanks to Loopey Loo on the forum
Starting today, the story of one of the biggest pop stars in the firmament. As a performer he is virtually without peer. In his personal life, he has dated some the world's most beautiful women. In his career, he has signed one of the biggest deals in pop history - an £80 million recording contract with EMI. He has homes in London and Los Angeles. Next Saturday, he kicks off his new tour in Edinburgh. The first 100,000 tickets for his two Scottish dates sold out in three hours - forcing organisers to issue 10,000 more, which went just as rapidly. The same happened with his Knebworth dates in August. Yet it all could have been very different. Today, in the first of an exclusive four-part series, we go back to when he left the boy band Take That at the height of their success and embarked on a drink and drugs bender that would continue for nearly two years. There were many in the music business who predicted that the only future for Robbie Williams was as a washed up alcoholic

22/6/03
Robbie goes AWOL -thanks to Jackie
Robbie has gone AWOL from rehearsals and gone out and about in London...and celebs waiting to catch a glimpse of him, have been disappointed. A source said the rehearsals for the show are going fine and Robbie knows what he has to do.......

21/6/03
Can't stop the Robbie -The Advocate and thanks to Shilo
Wondering what Robbie Williams might look like in cowboy drag? That fantasy might come true if reports of his desire to lens a film about the Village People are on the mark. According to England's Daily Star, the British superstar has offered $700,000 for the movie rights to the tale of the legendary disco act.
Word has it that Williams has his heart set on donning the chaps and cowboy hat originally worn by the VP's Randy Jones. "Some of the Village People were gay, some of them weren't" Williams has said. "But, gay or not, they were great entertainers. Their story deserves to be told, so I'll tell it."
At press time, Williams's US rep could not confirm the rumors, but the Brit has one vote of confidence. "Robbie Williams is hands-down, one of the sexiest and most talented entertainers on the planet today" enthuses Jones. "I'm confident that my cowboy character from Village People will be in good hands with Robbie. If there's anyone who can fill my jeans, it's Robbie and his bodacious bum!"

20/6/03
Coming Soon! The Escapology Tour Mini Site
To commemorate the beginning of Robbie's European tour, The Robbie Williams Site will be commencing a mini site just for the tour. You'll find all the latest tour news and pictures there. The main site will also still be operating along with the forum. So keep checking back, the new nini site will commence as soon as the tour kicks off.

20/6/03
Robbie Williams no.37 in Forbes Celebrity 100 -Forbes
Robbie Williams has come in at no.37 at this years Forbes Celebrity 100. Not bad for someone who doesn't seem to be 'making' it in the States. Ckeck out all details here.

20/6/03
Extra tour dates for France -thanks to Jackie
Robbie is to perform three more dates for France in October. 15/10, 16/10 and 25/10 have been added to the tour. Not sure what this means for the States who were pencilled in for Sept/Oct/Nov.

20/6/03
Pizza shop set to lose slice of Robbie action -Edinburgh News
Pploce chiefs have been criticised for trying to block a takeaway owner’s attempt to cash in on the forthcoming Robbie Williams concerts in Edinburgh.
The West End outlet wants to open an hour later on each of the two nights of the superstar’s Murrayfield extravaganzas - but the move could be stopped by a police objection.
Parvis Moghaddam, who has run Pizza Primo, on Morrison Street, for the last 12 years, said he had been hoping to receive a huge boost to business - at what is a traditionally quiet time of year - from fans on their way home from the shows.
But Lothian and Borders Police believe it is "wholly inappropriate" for any business to be granted a licence extension for a one-off event, claiming it will encourage people to "loiter in the city longer than necessary".
The force has warned the council that granting an individual a licence for one event may set a worrying precedent.
However, Mr Moghaddam is furious at the intervention, claiming police are trying to "chase away" people going to the concerts and insisting his business has never attracted problems since it opened. The Federation of Small Businesses has thrown its weight behind Mr Moghaddam’s bid, claiming the force has gone "completely over the top".
Businesses across the city - including hotels, guest houses, bars and restaurants - are gearing up for a money-spinning bonanza from the Williams concerts on June 28 and 29, both of which have been sold out for months.
They are the first major concerts to be staged at Murrayfield since Oasis staged a one-off spectacular in 2000.
Pizza Primo will open until 3am on the Saturday and 2am on the Sunday if the city’s licensing board grants approval tomorrow.
But in a letter to the council on behalf of Chief Constable Paddy Tomkins, licensing inspector Norrie McLean said businesses normally took full advantage of the maximum opening hours available to them and said he did not think either sporting fixtures or concerts warranted any licensed premises being granted further extensions.
He added: "The city will be very busy on both nights and the police will be endeavouring to effect a swift dispersal from the concert with a view to minimising the impact on local residents.
"To grant this type of application could only serve to encourage people to loiter in the city longer than necessary, prolonging the impact of the concert.
"It would also lead to numerous other late-hours catering licensed premises, not to mention liquor licensed premises, seeking notable extensions to their hours for a multitude of events throughout the year."
Mr Moghaddam said: "That weekend is traditionally a very quiet one because all the students are away and it’s before the start of the full tourist season. I was hoping to take advantage of the Robbie Williams concerts as it’s not very often there are concerts held at Murrayfield and the concerts aren’t going to finish until at least 11pm.
"I just think the police are trying to chase away people as soon as possible and want a quiet life. Sometimes they should consider people who are trying to make a living."
Tim Steward, chairman of the Edinburgh branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, added: "There’s absolutely no point in putting on these events and promoting Edinburgh as a great place to come for a weekend for something like this, if you’re going to chase people away as soon as possible after an event is finished."
A sokeswoman for Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board said: "We’d like to think that for one-off events such as the Robbie Williams concerts the licensing board might be prepared to adopt a flexible approach."

19/6/03
Send in your question for 'this weeks poll' -from Tania
Have you got a Robbie related question that you would like to see in the weekly poll? Well if you do email it to me and I will put it on the site. It can be any Robbie question you like with up to a choice of 10 answers. Email me at therobbiewilliamssite@yahoo.com.au
Send in as many as you like and see your question on the site when a new poll is added each Monday.

19/6/03
Take That's back -The Sun
Robbie Williams has buried the hatchet with former TAKE THAT pal Mark Owen and asked him to perform with him live. If Mark says yes, they are likely to duet when Robbie takes to the stage at Knebworth in August. This marks the end of an eight-year feud which saw the group disintegrate, hurl insults at each other and ended in a court battle. Robbie, who walked out on Take That in 1995 after going off the rails, offered Mark an olive branch in a bid to help him relaunch his solo career. Sources close to Robbie have told me they have discussed performing some of Take That’s biggest hits — bringing back memories of their all-conquering heyday during the 1990s. Mark could join Robbie at Knebworth on August 1, 2 or 3. Tickets for two of Robbie’s gigs sold out in just seven hours, forcing organisers to add an extra date. He is expected to perform in front of 500,000 fans that weekend — the perfect showcase for Mark’s solo comeback.
The pair hardly spoke after Robbie quit Take That amid reports of fierce fighting in the band and rows over his partying. Seven months after his shock exit, the band split up, breaking the hearts of millions of girls all around the world. A pal of Robbie’s told me: “Robbie decided that after eight years it was time to forgive and forget. He thought the best way to help his old mate would be to get him on stage at Knebworth, his biggest shows of the year.
“Rob really missed Mark when he left Take That. It took a lot for them to start talking again but now they’re good mates.
“There will be a lot of excitement because it will be the first time they have been on stage together since 1995.”
Take That notched up eight No1s in three years, with tracks like Back For Good, Never Forget and Relight My Fire hitting the charts. They also sold nine million albums worldwide. After the band split, Robbie, Mark and Gary Barlow all launched solo careers but only Robbie has been successful. Gary was dropped by his label after just six singles and Mark was ditched after only three releases.
He was later signed up by Universal after winning TV’s Celebrity Big Brother and his comeback song, Four Minute Warning is out on August 4. The remaining Take That members — Jason Orange and Howard Donald — are still around. Jason tried his hand at acting while Howard became a DJ.

19/6/03
New on the forum: 'the tour forum' -from Tania
I have added a new thread on the forum specifically for Robbie's upcoming tour which kicks off this Sunday with a warm-up gig in Paris. The new thread is called 'the tour forum', so if you're going to any of his concerts, or even not going but wish you were like me, then come join us in the forum where you can have your say. To enter the forum click here.

18/6/03
Spree Whiz, Robbie -thanks to Jackie
The impulsive Robbie Williams spent £500 in five minutes during a London shopping spree. Robbie, who is in town rehearsing for his UK tour dates, nipped down to American Classics on King's Road - just minutes away from his new £2.5million penthouse in Chelsea Harbour.He picked up a pair of Red Wings workman boots, some jeans and a handful of Stüssy tops, before racing off in a car with his minder. One sales assistant said: "Robbie used to shop in here a lot when he was in Take That so it was great to see him again."Robbie has been rehearsing near the Big Brother house in Borehamwood, Herts - and I am told he is proving more of a distraction to locals than this year's dull housemates.

18/6/03
Robbie plays for the workers -thanks to Jackie
British pop prince Robbie Williams has picked up a staggering US$112,000 to perform at a staff party. The star stunned workers for mobile phone network Vodafone when he joined Bryan Adams and British pop act Liberty X on stage at the company's annual staff ball at Highclear Castle in Newbury, England, on Saturday night, 14 June 2003

17/6/03
Post a message to Robbie on the Official Forum -robbiewilliams.com and thanks to Jackie
With the tour just a couple of weeks away, as usual, the set list is top secret! However, during the last week or so of rehearsals Robbie is just putting the final touches to the set list and has a question for you about a certain song...If you're about to go to one of Robbie's European dates this summer, please go to the Bullet_on Forum in the Lounge section and tell Robbie whether you'd like to hear...??
Click here to go to Robbie's Official Site.

17/6/03
Win tickets to Robbie's warm up gig in Paris -robbiewilliams.com
ROBBIE WILLIAMS
EUROPEAN SUMMER TOUR 2003
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY Xbox AND smart
Robbie will be playing at Olympia in Paris this Sunday 22nd June as a warm up to the eagerly-awaited European Summer Tour 2003 - and we have 5 pairs of tickets to give away ONLY to Inner Sanctum members of Robbie's website!!!
The show will kick off at 20.15pm and will end at 22.15pm FRENCH time; doors open at 19.00pm. It's up to you to get yourselves there, but as there will only be approx 2,200 people at the venue, this promises to be the most intimate gig this summer!!
If you'd like a chance to win a pair of these tickets, all you need to do is send us your answers to the following questions;
1) How many shows is Robbie playing this summer (excluding the warm up show)?
a) 20
b) 21
c) 22
2) How many countries will Robbie play in?
a) 8
b) 10
c) 12
3) And one from the archive... Following Robbie's warm-up gig in Woking on Saturday 27th September 1997, his first ever full solo gig was played in Paris on Monday 29th to celebrate the release of Life Thru A Lens. Which Parisian venue did he play?
a) Elysee Montmatre
b) Bercy
c) Olympia
All you need to do to enter is send your answers, along with the details required below, to:
paris@robbiewilliams.com

17/6/03
Win tickets to see Robbie live at Knebworth -from Tania
Aswell as providing a live broadcast from Robbie's Knebworth gig, BBC Radio 1 are also giving away tickets to the show. For more deatils click here.

17/6/03
Purchase Robbie's bangle -thanks to Jackie
Have you ever noticed the bangle that Robbie wears? Well if you have and would like one for yourself you can purchase them online. The bangle is called 'Om Namah Shivaya Healing Bangle' and is suitable for both sexes. To purchase one visit ancient-roots.com

16/6/03
Robbie Williams YMCA -askmen.com
I really like Robbie Williams; I think his music's great, his look is very debonair, and his attitude is very carefree. And now it's beginning to look like he's set to star as the gay cowboy, Randy Jones, in an upcoming movie about the popular '70s band the Village People. Some may think this is a smart move; others not so much. But one thing's for sure; if Robbie wanted to get in America's face and hit the market with a bang, he will surely pull that off through this, to say the least. And although Williams admits that, "Some of the Village People were gay, some of them weren't," he feels that their story needs to be told nonetheless. I can name at least one demographic that Robbie will be popular with after this movie is released.

16/6/03
Askmen.com 'Man Of The Week' -from Tania
While searching for Robbie news this evening I came across the Askmen.com 'Man Of The Week' on Robbie Williams. It is a bit outdated, but it still worth a read. The article gives the 'Man Of The Week' an overall rating out of 100, and individual ratings on areas such as personality and talent; woman magnetism; accomplishments and fame; coolness factor and personal style. Let me tell you Robbie fared very well in all categories!! Check it out at askmen.com
I also found another celebrity site with a feature on Robbie. This site has quotes, awards links, voting booth and Robbie trivia that you can contribute too. See this site at celebritywonder.com
Most of you have probably seen both sites before but I thought I would put the links on for the new Robbie fans.

15/6/03
Take a dec at Robbie's love bite -Glasgow Sunday Mail
Robbie Williams got it in the neck as he was ribbed by pals about a love bite he was sporting.
I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here presenters Ant and Dec, actor Max Beesley and an unknown friend teased the singer at a trendy restaurant.
Geordie lads Ant and Dec then leapt on a slightly shamefaced Robbie, who had enjoyed a meal with mates at London's Nobu eaterie.
It looks like the cheeky star, who recently admitted he was hungry for love after splitting with Rod Stewart's ex Rachel Hunter, has got a real brass neck.
But we all knew that already.

15/6/03
A music moment; meet Simon Cowell's lap dancer! -thanks to Shilo
A superstar on a par with Madonna around the globe, Robbie Williams, 29, has had trouble breaking it big in the U.S.
Now, thanks to a cheeky showstopping appearnce May 12 on The Tonight Show..when Katie Couric subbed for Jay Leno and ratings went thru the roof..Britain's favorite celebrity is getting another shot.
Q: That was some smooch you gave Couric. Are you guys pals?
A: I had never met her before. She had massive cojones to do the biggest gig in America! She was vulernable and honest, and she did an amazing job.
Q: What inspired you to give Simon Cowell a lap dance?
A: Just an impulse, really. I thought "He critiques everybody, but nobody's got up and raided his midriff!" He reacted like he was going to put $20 in my pants. He pretended not to be enjoying it, bit I could tell he was. I could feel it!
Q: Last year Nicole Kidman appeared in your "Something Stupid" video. How was that?
A: It was an absolute treat. It's great to be in this job, where you're not only a pop star, which is fantastic enough, but you get to live out your fantasies. I got to kiss Nicole Kidman all over. It was one of the pinnacles of my career..and hers also.
Q: It probably was. You're hot! Do you work out?
A: I walk my dogs a lot and I get on the treadmill, but that's about it. It's too strenuous, I won't do it. I'm up and down like a bear without his knickers. With the arrival of Justin Timberlake, I'm nervous. He just looks like a Greek God. I was like, On to the gym; keep it up this time! Q: Word is that you're actively seeking a missus. Any luck?
A: I'm closer than I've ever been. I've not met my wife yet, but I'm happy and in a good place. I've got my mojo working!

15/6/03
Jonathan Wilkes article -thanks to Jackie
He's probably best known for being Robbie Williams's best friend. But there's more to Jonathan Wilkes than his famous friend. Like wearing stockings and suspenders and his own megabucks album deal JONATHAN Wilkes is tired. Not tired as in the euphemistic "tired and emotional" but good old-fashioned shattered. He's been touring the country as Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show for almost a year and the daily shows are taking their toll.
"I am really knackered at the moment, totally exhausted. We've been touring for 10 months and we've been on the road the whole time. I'd love some time off, but there's not much chance of that. I've not had any real time off since Christmas," he croaks.
Best known perhaps as Robbie Williams's best friend, Jonathan has worked hard to make this production of Richard O'Brien's legendary show a huge success. And that's exactly what it's become. He says, "Theatre's cool again, which I think is a great thing. We've sold more tickets for this production of Rocky Horror than any other in its life, including the ones with Darren Day and Jason Donovan."
For someone who's spent so long in someone else's shadow, that must feel like a great achievement. "For me, at 24, that's really good, I'm really pleased. You look at shows by people like Andrew Lloyd Webber, people can get a bit bored of that. Shows like Chicago, and now the movie of it this year, have helped to make musicals cool."
It's not all been smooth sailing, although Jonathan had a good grounding in musical theatre having starred in Godspell last year. "Doing a show like this, it's inevitable that you get ill now and then, but I've only had the occasional day off, with a cold or flu. I've knackered my voice though, I sound really hoarse. The show's hard on your voice, with so much singing every night. It really takes its toll, you have to rest when you can. But I think I have been the cast member with the most days on stage, so I haven't done that badly."
The Rocky Horror Show opens in Cardiff's New Theatre on Monday, which is to the day the 30th anniversary of its first showing at London's Royal Court Theatre. The musical's outrageous storyline, hilarious characters and memorable songs (who could ever forget doing the Time Warp?) have made it a household name - an almost unique achievement for such an avant garde piece of theatre. Jonathan was always a Rocky Horror fan and is enjoying his stint, despite the hard work.
"It is a great show to do, it's really good fun. I've enjoyed it so much. The cast has become like family, after all these months together. Living with people on the road you really get to know them." His character is, of course, a transvestite who wears preposterously high heels, full make-up and sexy underwear. "Frank N Furter is a really demanding role physically. I didn't do any specific training for it, but I did have to practice walking in high heels. Actually, it's still a gamble every night, they still cripple me! "Don't think I'll be wearing them again after the show ends!"
Denise Van Outen and Gaby Roslin, who both appeared on stage in Chicago, have said that it's the audiences who make the experience a fantastic one. Does Jonathan find the same? "Every night is different. It does depend a lot on the audience. Some really get into it and some are quieter. But we have been packing them in, we've played to almost 300,000 people and a lot of them have been young, some even teenagers. "The show may be 30 years old but I'm only 24, and I've got a strong fanbase of young people who perhaps have come to see the show because I'm in it. That's great - we've introduced a whole new generation of people to musical theatre who probably wouldn't have gone to see a show otherwise. "I think there's never been a better time to be in theatre. Musicals have more appeal now than they ever had."
After the excitement of the 30th anniversary and the end of the tour, Jonathan will be taking a much-needed break. But not for long, because he already has his next project lined up and it's going to surprise a lot of people. He says, "My next job's going to be great, I'm really pleased about it. I'm excited too, because people will have the chance to see what I can do. I'm going to be taking over from Lisa Riley as the host of You've Been Framed on ITV, for the new series, starting in September." A prime-time, comedy-based ITV show like this is a real departure for Jonathan, who released a Top 20 single last year and signed a five-year album deal with Virgin. But he's got more than musical strings to his bow, as he's keen to point out.
"Entertainment's what I really wanted to get into. I've built a fanclub on the Rocky Horror tour and I'm grateful for that, but I've got to think about what else Jonathan Wilkes can do. I've been an entertainer from when I was small." And he's itching to make his own mark on the well-loved video nasties show, too. "No offence to Lisa, she's done a really good job but I think they felt it was time for a refresher, to have a new approach. "It's a really high profile for me, but I have signed a three-year deal with ITV so I think I'll have to get used to it. We're going to be revamping the show, adding some new stuff. I can't say yet what that might be, I'm sworn to secrecy but it's going to be great!"
Inevitably, with the new show will come a bigger fan base and a wider audience. To date, it's fair to say that many people still only know Jonathan because of his lifelong friendship with Robbie Williams. Surely that's got to be just a little bit annoying to someone who works so hard at his own career? Jonathan concedes it can be, saying "I am Robbie's best mate, yeah, but he said that first, I didn't. It's true and it'll never change and it's important to me, but when I first came to the public eye, it was a hurdle, yeah, of course it was. That association made people think, why should anyone give this lad a chance? But people have called and written to me while I've been doing theatre and said they've had their eyes opened." To Jonathan, it's not about who his friends are, but what he can achieve. "It just happens that my best mate is Robbie Williams, the biggest and most talented performer in this country. But that's life - I've just got on with what I do. I like to work hard, and I want to prove myself in my career."
But could his growing success bring the kind of fame that has caused his good mate such well-documented problems in the past? Jonathan's confident he can handle it, saying, "I have my feet on the ground and I think that's to do with being from Stoke and having a secure upbringing. Robbie is the same but don't forget that he had fame from a very young age and that's hard for anyone to handle. I was older when I first started to become famous, and I'm 24 now, I know who I am and I just want to work hard and do well. "The thing with fame is that there's ways and means of dealing with it. My stable background helps. I've seen a lot of what goes on with these really famous people. But I have respect for myself and know the score, it's all about how you deal with it."
He may only be in his early 20s, but he has a clear idea of where he's going and who he is. Jonathan's ready for the challenges his burgeoning career might bring. "I'm an entertainer, completely. If you asked me to go do a set in a pub tonight, cabaret, singing, dancing whatever, I'd be able to do it. It's what I do and what I want to work on in the future.
You've Been Framed might be seen as a departure for me, but it's what I've always wanted, to entertain in that way." But what of the music career? He did after all, have a top-selling hit and for a while, completed the circuit of Top of the Pops and the like. Doesn't he want a taste of Robbie's platinum lifestyle? "I don't think I'm a pop star. At all. I did have a music career and I might well go back to it, but at the moment, I'm just having too much fun. When I put my record out, there was the stigma of being Robbie Williams's mate, and it was hard, I was always being compared to Rob. "True pop stars are people like Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, and Rob of course. I'm not a pop star, I'm more a Des O'Connor..."

15/6/03
NW Backchat Quote -from Tania
In the Australian magazine NW the last page features a variety of quotes from all different celebrities, well this week Robbie Williams was one of them. He has been quoted as saying....
"I'll have anything, me. Jonathan, my mate, calls it my 'potato-head hunt' because I have low standards [for women]."
Make of it what you will!!

14/6/03
Robbie in Ashley Hamilton article -NW magazine
Excerpt from: From Heroin Adict To Heart Throb, NW June 16, 2003
One person he has bonded with in recent years is a man he has much in common with -Robbie Williams. Ashley recalls, "We met through a friend of a friend, went for a bit to eat and got talking and laughing about life in LA and men and women and relationships...He's a great guy."
So was there any tension when Robbie started dating Rachel Hunter, Rod Stewart's estranged wife? "It was very wierd. I started thinking, 'Is Robbie going to be my stepdad? Am I going to have to ask him for an allowance?" he laughs.
And:
Previously "doing it all" meant sex, drugs and partying, but these days it includes being signed to EMI publishing as a songwriter and scoring his own record deal with Sony. For more than two years now Ashley's been writing songs for artists from Sugar Ray to Meredith Brooks. And besides being responsible for introducing Robbie Williams to Rachel Hunter, he also co-wrote Robbie's UK top five single Come Undone off Escapology.
"He asked if I wanted to write a song with him and I said, 'Sure,' although I didn't know much about him then," he says. While Ashley says he'd love a career like Robbie's, he doesn't expect success to fall in his lap, partly because of the scepticism that accompanies anyone with showbiz connections.

14/6/03
Escapology as Robbie blows 2.5 million -The Sun
Restless star Robbie Williams has forked out £2.5million on another London house – after spending a fortune doing up his Notting Hill pad.
The former Take That singer has splashed the cash on a swanky penthouse apartment overlooking Chelsea Harbour.
The block, right, which is one of the most exclusive addresses in the capital, is home to a host of stars including Sir Michael Caine.
Friends say Robbie has upped sticks from his humble £2million Notting Hill home because the place has turned into a huge tourist attraction.
He packed his bags after blowing £1.5million on a complete revamp of the four-storey Victorian mansion.
Since he bought the house three years ago, Robbie has had it transformed into a proper bachelor pad.
Builders created a state-of-the-art recording studio in the basement and turned the ground floor into a huge sitting room and library. They put three guest bedrooms and two bathrooms on the top floor.
Then Robbie ordered them to turn the entire first floor into his sleeping quarters, with a huge bedroom, en-suite dressing room and luxurious bathroom. He caused a spectacle when he hoisted a huge Jacuzzi bath into his garden with a crane.
And to make himself feel even more at home, Robbie installed his mum Jan in a £1.2million three-bedroom house just down the road.
Now Robbie has told pals he has had enough of living there, with its high public profile.
The property has been described as a “goldfish bowl” and there is nothing but a strip of pavement to keep sightseers away.
A pal of the star’s told me: “Robbie wanted to have some privacy so he decided to move to somewhere more exclusive.
“He didn’t like the idea of people just being able to walk up to his front door so he thought an apartment with tight security would be better. He’s not going to sell the other place, though.
“He will still make money on it because he’s talking about renting it out.”
Robbie has now moved into upmarket Chelsea Harbour which boasts unrivalled views of the Thames — and a super-tight security system to protect its mega-rich residents.
Not bad for a bloke who was raised in a semi in Stoke-on-Trent.
All this chaos in London and Robbie still spends most of his time across the Atlantic at his £5million Los Angeles mansion.
Still, given his earnings, I don’t suppose he has to count the pennies.

14/6/03
Jagger slams in Justin in praise of Robbie -Channel 4 News
Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger has slammed pop star Justin Timberlake and said that he prefers British pop rocker Robbie Williams. Jagger, 60, said: "I've watched Justin, but every single move he does is stolen." "I like Robbie Williams more - at least he's original." "Image is everything in this game," the wrinkly rocker added. Sir Mick is currently on his Forty Licks tour with the Stones, and claimed that his band still have what it takes: "You have to perform good shows, look good and have good songs, no matter how old you are. And we do all that." Justin will have the chance to prove Jagger worng when he hits the road with his own tour. The former N'Sync singer is hooking up with his old Mickey Mouse Club pal Christina Aguilera for a joint tour of the US. The highly anticipated string of gigs, called Justified and Stripped will see the pair performing their hits throughout America over the summer.

14/6/03
Robbie fighting flab on tour -The Age
Robbie Williams is fighting the flab even during his sellout European tour. Williams has banned crisps, chocolate and other treats from the backstage area. He demands scales in his dressing room and a masseuse to keep stress levels down. "It's not like Robbie's behaving like a diva or anything, he just obviously doesn't want to lapse into eating junk food when he's on the road," a tour insider told The Sun. "He'll be the first to admit he can quickly pile on the kilos - that's why he keeps to a strict diet."

14/6/03
Something Beautiful details -thanks to Jackie
'Something Beautiful' has a new B side track, details as follow:
- Something Beautiful
- Berliner Star
To be released on 7 July 2003

13/6/03
Fat's Your Lot -The Sun
A few years back Robbie Williams would have insisted his dressing room was packed with a bunch of nubile groupies and several bottles of vodka. But oh how times change for the darling of British pop. I’ve landed a copy of young Robert’s backstage demands for his forthcoming European tour and it seems he is developing an, um, unhealthy obsession with being healthy. The coffee-guzzling tee-totaller has gone to extreme measures to ensure he doesn’t pile on the pounds while he’s on the road. He has banned all fatty foods from the backstage area. Crisps, chocolate and nibble treats are strictly forbidden so he doesn’t nervously pick at them before he performs on his sell-out tour. And to keep himself in check he has a set of scales in his dressing room. You’re not becoming the new GERI HALLIWELL are you, Robbie? A tour insider told me earlier this week: “It’s not like Robbie’s behaving like a diva or anything, he just obviously doesn’t want to lapse into eating junk food when he’s on the road. “He’ll be the first to admit he can quickly pile on the pounds — that’s why he keeps to a strict diet and makes sure he exercises regularly. “The easiest time to put on weight if you’re a musician is when you’re on the road. You are away from home and surrounded by people getting things for you, there’s also lots of waiting around at times and it’s very easy to snack. “Robbie wants to keep busy before his shows and not nibble food. The scales are so he can check his weight is bang on target.” Robbie’s European tour includes Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin, Dublin and Edinburgh and ends in a massive three-night residency at Knebworth, Herts. Tickets for the tour sold in record time, proving he is still the most popular star in Britain. Robbie has also requested his own personal masseuse backstage at all times to keep down his stress levels. Robbie admits he gets dreadfully nervous before performing and he often throws up minutes before taking to the stage. He is also desperately paranoid about his weight and admits he has got to be careful what he eats otherwise he will balloon. He said recently: “The fridge is always full in my house because inside me there is a fat man trying to get out.” And in a recent backstage documentary he revealed he drinks Slim-Fast. Does anyone fancy a doughnut?

13/6/03
Fat Free -TOTP
Chunky chipmunk Robbie Williams is known for his bulging muscley frame, but he may soon look like a shadow of his former self according to the tabs. For his forthcoming tour, the Slim Fast slurping singer has gone to extreme measures to ensure he doesn't pile on the pounds while he's on the road and has banned all fatty foods from the backstage area, including crisps, chocolate and nibbles. The fit fella is even keeping a set of scales in his dressing room. Perhaps he's taking a leaf out of ex-mate Geri Halliwell's book. A tour insider told the Sun: "It's not like Robbie's behaving like a diva or anything, he just obviously doesn't want to lapse into eating junk food when he's on the road. He'll be the first to admit he can quickly pile on the pounds - that's why he keeps to a strict diet and makes sure he exercises regularly." We're sure it'll definitely be a case of thin when you're winning, Rob, but we love you just the way you are...

13/6/03
Robbie Radio on dotmusic.com -from Tania
Dotmusic.com has added a download area just to Robbie Williams. Here you can download, lilsten, stream and burn all your favourite Robbie songs. You must however be a registered sunscriber to dotmusic.com. Click here for more details.

11/6/03
Watch two videos from Festivalbar -from Tania
To watch two backstage videos from Festival in Milan, Italy click here.

11/6/03
Robbie's fun to the Max -from The Robbie Williams Site Forum
Robbie Williams moans about London, saying he is always surrounded by fans. But he seemed to be having a great time with actor pal Max Beesley. Last month I caught the singer grinning on a night out in New York.
Memo to Robbie: Keep it up, you look so much more handsome when you smile.

11/6/03
Noted history of musical hysteria: the boy band -The Scotsman
FROM the screaming hordes pursuing the Beatles, to helplines set up to counsel devastated fans after the break-up of Take That, the success of the boy band formula is well proven.
But the debate about who began the phenomenon rages on.
Whether they have written their own songs, play musical instruments or even sing in tune, all boy bands have tried to emulate the Beatlemania which swept Britain and the US when an unknown four-piece from Liverpool broke on to the scene in 1962.
The Monkees television show premiered on NBC in September 1966, in an effort to emulate the Beatles’ film, A Hard Day’s Night.
The mop tops were the same and, for a time, so was world domination, before the band set the future trend by falling into obscurity as fashions changed and teenagers grew up.
Scotland had its own boy band in the shape of the Bay City Rollers.
From 1971, the tartan army meant tearful teens in titchy kilts waving to their heroes. The Caledonian clamour reached a crescendo in March 1975 as Bye Bye Baby stormed to the top of the charts.
The Bee Gees never really captured the fans’ hearts as disco put dancing to the fore.
Similarly, the new romantics did not produce anything like the hysteria known in earlier musical times, despite the success of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet.
But in 1987, Matt and Luke Goss, and the forgotten "other one" in their group Bros, heralded the return of the mayhem. However, the ruthless marketing machine took its toll and they soon broke up.
Take That ruled the modern boy band breed, outselling all-comers in the early Nineties.
When the band announced their intention to split in 1996, there was mass hysteria and even suicide threats from devoted fans.
Of all the former Take That members, only Robbie Williams has managed to carve a genuinely successful musical career.

10/6/03
Let Me Entertain You -thanks to Carole, Jackie and Susie
In the UK newspaper The Mail on Sunday (Night and Day Magazine) there was a fantastic article on Robbie's success in the States. It is great to read an article about him that has some positivity to it. Click here for the full article.

10/6/03
Robbie to play Superman? -thanks to Susie
Hollywood want Rob as Superman - secret negotations from Robbie to star in the remake of Superman.The reason he looks pretty pleased with himself on a shopping spree in London. The Robster is in talks with Warner Bros about landing the part 120million project - insiders told of how studio chiefs have so far struggled to find a leading man, with Josh Hartnett and Jude Law both passing on the role. Our Source said - "they want Robbie for Superman and he wants to do it". Hollywood insiders also claim he's been offered 3million for the role and has passed a screen test. "I am Superman" Robbie joked with a pal, and I do look good in a pair of tights and cape.

9/6/03
Robbie voted 3rd sexiest music star -Ananova
He may be one of the world's most lusted-after stars but Justin Timberlake is less sexy than long-dead Elvis Presley, according to pop fans.
And Timberlake finishes only one place ahead of Eighties relics Duran Duran - currently trying to revive their careers - in a poll for music channel VH1. The accolade of world's sexiest music star unsurprisingly goes to Kylie Minogue who famously danced with Timberlake at the Brits earlier this year.
Minogue took a third of all the votes cast to be the clear winner, with Britney Spears runner-up in the poll of thousands of VH1 viewers in the UK.
Robbie Williams was the highest ranked Brit at number three.
Emma Bunton - who failed to make the list in FHM's recent 100 sexiest women poll - was the highest ranking British female.
Of her former Spice Girls colleagues, only Geri Halliwell features in the countdown.
Bunton, who recently relaunched her solo career with the single free me, said: "I'm really flattered to be voted Britain's number one sexiest woman by VH1 viewers. I'm glad to see that curves are back."
Beauties such as Holly Valance and Jennifer Lopez have to content themselves with 12th and 7th places.
Timberlake finished in 14th place, one spot behind the King of Rock'n'Roll, who still has admirers all shook up almost 26 years after his death. Duran Duran were at 15.
The full 100 is being counted down by the station in three hour-long specials from Wednesday to Friday at 9pm, introduced by Jodie Kidd.
VH1's Top 20:
1. Kylie Minogue
2. Britney Spears
3. Robbie Williams
4. Avril Lavigne
5. Mariah Carey
6. Enrique Iglesias
7. Jennifer Lopez
8. Emma Bunton
9. S Club
10. Madonna
11. LeAnn Rimes
12. Holly Valance
13. Elvis Presley
14. Justin Timberlake
16. George Michael
17. Jon Bon Jovi
18. Sophie Ellis Bextor
19. Christina Aguilera
20. Eminem

9/6/03
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow, Why even Robbie can't find evolution -Sunday Herald
Scientists believe that hirsute people are being 'bred out' through evolution, as both men and women choose smoother-skinned partners to have children with. The study, enticingly titled A Naked Ape Would Have Fewer Parasites, claims that humans started to evolve into hairless beings because without fur they would be infested with fewer bugs. A thick layer of fur was no longer needed at a point in history when humans began building shelters, using fire and wearing clothing for warmth.
The theory -- that spells bad news more more hirsute men such as Robbie Williams -- suggests the lack of parasites in a mate would be a highly desirable quality, leading both men and women to pick less hairy partners. Hairy backs, chests and legs for men would have become a social no-no, while over time, women developed finer body hair as a result.
But the study offers little solace for bald men as head hair would be desirable for its ability to limit sunburn. This would have become another factor in sexual selection.
Professor Mark Pagel of the School of Animal and Microbial Sciences at the University of Reading, told the Sunday Herald the research explained an important gap of why we look the way we do today.
He said: 'Hairlessness would have allowed them to effectively 'advertise' their reduced susceptibility to parasitic infestation. This trait became desirable in a mate. Parasites can and do infest clothing, but clothes, unlike fur, can be changed and cleaned. Hair on our heads would have been retained only because it protects us from the sun.'
Pagel said the legacy of this sexual selection process is still with us. 'We seem to be really put off by body hair and you have to ask where the impulse for that comes from, because humans are unique among mammals in this way,' he said. 'Women and men spend millions of pounds every year on depilatory lotions for that very purpose -- to remove hair. The impulse comes from somewhere.' The paper by Pagel and his co-author Sir Walter Bodmer will be published by the Royal Society later this month.
Psychologist Dr Petra Boynton, sex editor of Men's Health magazine, said the research gave an insight into instinctive reactions to hairiness.
She said: 'Most commonly people don't like hairy backs or chests for far more basic reasons -- the touch, smell, or look. Although studies like this should reassure men it is all part of evolution, guys should try not to let their appearance and self-esteem be dictated by hair growth.'
Author Toby Young said his own experience of dating led him to come down on the side of natural selection, with women still preferring men with hair on their heads.
He said: 'I once did an experiment in which I got hold of How To Pick Up Girls, memorised the 10 best lines in the book and then went to 10 different bars and tried them out on 10 different girls. The following night I went back to the same bars and tried the lines out again, but this time wearing a wig. On the first night, I crashed and burned in all 10 bars, but on the second night I actually pulled. As far as I'm concerned, this is conclusive proof that women prefer men with hair.'
Hair removal is a serious business with the British public -- men as well as women -- buying more than £30 million of hair-removing products a year. The male hair-removal market has grown 30% in the past five years with chest waxing at the top of the list for treatments.
And women should take note of how seriously men take body hair -- 8% of men would end a relationship if their partner didn't remove excess body hair, and 16% would question a woman's sexuality if she had hairy legs. A third of men find the idea of hairy armpits 'totally repugnant'.
A 1998 survey found that 79% of British women shave their legs, including almost all 17 to 24-year-olds. Of that number, 66%, shave their entire legs while 33% shave from the knee down. Around 98% of women shave their underarms. Hair removal has its own history. Around 20,000 years ago, men are believed to have used sharpened rocks and shells to shave their faces, while the ancient Egyptians pioneered the techniques of sugaring and using beeswax, still found today in salons. In the Middle East and Egypt it was common for both sexes to shave their heads and then wear elaborate wigs. In Roman times, the first shave of a youth came to be regarded as the arrival of male adulthood and the whiskers were offered as a token to his favourite god.

9/6/03
Robbie to contribute to CD -Ney York Daily News
Lou Reed, Michael Stipe, and Robbie Williams are among the musicians releasing the CD "Pandemic: Facing AIDS" to raise money to fight the disease worldwide. Rory Kennedy's five-part documentary on the subject starts airing next Sunday on HBO with her heartrending look at a young woman in Thailand, forced to work in Bangkok's notorious brothels, who contracted AIDS there.

9/6/03
Full support list for Germany -thanks to Jackie
06.07. Munich: SKIN + Kelly Osbourne
08.07. Berlin: Kelly Osbourne
09.07. Berlin: Kelly Osbourne
11.07. Mannheim: Cardigans + Kelly Osbourne
13.07. Schalke: SKIN + Kelly Osbourne
14.07. Schalke: SKIN + Kelly Osbourne
20.07. Hanover: Cardigans + Kelly Osbourne

9/6/03
She's The One -TOTP
Robbie has never been one to make unremarkable videos, and it looks like he's continuing his quest for excess with his next promo, 'Something Beautiful'. Auditions were held for three people to perform as Robbie in the video. The panel of judges was headed by Robbie's dad and they chose Rebecca Durrant, Peter Caruana and Bjørn Wenner. Why were they chosen? Because they embody the "essence" of the Robster. So not only will Robbie become a German, he'll become a woman as well! Durant is a student and said: "It's a dream come true. I was nervous at the audition but I really wanted to prove that I could do it." Caruan is an actor from Manchester and performs a Robbie Tribute act. He joked: "They say everyone is entitled to 15 minutes of fame and I am still due about four minutes and 27 seconds." Wenner, who flew in from Hamburg, commented: "I want to have fun in life and I want to have fun in what I am doing and work for the chance to entertain." Robbie's dad obviously enjoyed judging the auditions enormously: "The whole day was very exciting with lots of people with lots of enthusiasm. It was very difficult to choose the three because so many deserved to be there, the bottom line was that the panel had to choose the three they thought the best from a very talented bunch." We can't wait to see how the lucky trio embody Robbie's essence!

9/6/03
Wimmin' debuts -from Tania
Wimmin', the song co-wriiten by Robbie Williams, and who appears on backing vocals, recorded recorded by Ashley Hamilton, debuts on the UK charts this week at no.27. Lets hope Robbie's influence can make the song go even higher in the charts.

7/6/03
Ash to support Robbie -thanks to Jackie
Ash and The Darkness are to support Robbie Williams at his upcoming Knebworth shows, dotmusic can report. The huge sell-out shows take place from August 1-3 this summer and will see an estimated 325,000 fans turn up to the Hertfordshire venue over the course of the three nights. The unprecendented triple slot at Knebworth will mark Robbie's biggest concerts to date and follow two shows at Scotland's Murrayfield Stadium on June 28 and 29. As previously reported, Williams sold out his two original Knebworth dates in less than eight hours when tickets went on sale last November.

7/6/03
Rock-ie Williams -TOTP
Having spent far too long going up to innocent Americans on the street and harassing them into buying a copy of his last album, Robbie Williams is finally set to make a return to these shores to reclaim his rightful seat as the Duke of Girls. And he's coming with some smelly ROCK mates too. The support acts for Rob's massive summer gigs at Knebworth this August have just been announced, and it's safe to say there will be no swinging at all. Squealy-boy rock titans Ash will be bringing some mosh action to the three sold-out concerts, while up-and-coming metal muthas the Darkness will be parading around in the cast-offs from Robbie's 'Let Me Entertain You' video. Confused? You'll have to see the band to understand what we mean, but in the meantime be warned. Earplugs would be a very good idea if you're going, and maybe a crash helmet for the stage-divers?

6/6/03
Robbie on location -thanks to Jackie
Singing sensation Robbie Williams is on his way to Luton to appear in a major new film about the music and life of famous composer Cole Porter. Shooting of the MGM movie, starring Hollywood actor Kevin Kline as Porter, is due to start at Luton Hoo this week. The magnificent 18th-century stately home is being used for several party scenes in the big-budget picture, called Just One Of Those Things. Other leading cast members include Ashley Judd, who plays the songwriter's wife Linda-Lee Porter, Jonathan Pryce and Allan Corduner, who was Arthur Sullivan in Topsy-Turvy, the film about musical duo Gilbert & Sullivan. Several famous faces are due to arrive at the Hoo for cameo roles and The Luton News understands one is megastar Robbie Williams, who is expected to spend two days on the set later this month. The production team has already been working at the mansion for nearly three weeks, preparing rooms for director Irwin Winkler and his crew. The house's interior will double as the Ritz hotels in London and Paris and the Waldorf Astoria in New York during the filming. Insiders have refused to confirm or deny whether chart-topper Williams, who is in concert at Knebworth Park from August 1-3, would be involved in film work a few miles away. She said: "There are a lot of cameos in this picture, but they are all hush-hush."

6/6/03
Vote for Robbie -thanks to Susie and Hello Magazine
Vote for Robbie in UK magazine Hello! 'Most Attractive Man Poll'. You are allowed one vote per day. Click here to vote.

6/6/03
'Finding Nemo' soundtrack review -Courier Gazette
Finding Nemo soundtrack (Disney, 60:23). Pixar is keeping in all in the family. After using composer/songwriter Randy Newman for its first four films ("Toy Story," "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters. Inc." among them), Pixar turned to his cousin, Thomas Newman, for this film. It marks the first foray into composing for animation for Newman, who has created the main theme for HBO's "Six Feet Under" and scored such films as "Road To Perdition," "American Beauty" and "The Shawshank Redemption." With 39 cues here (an average 90 seconds) the disc lacks the cohesion of most film scores, but Newman is constantly inventive, from spy stuff ("Foolproof") and surf music ("The Turtle Lope") to shades of "Six Feet Under" ("Filter Attempt" and modern classical ("Jellyfish Forest").
The icing on the album is British singer Robbie Williams' 2001 version of the 1946 standard, "Beyond the Sea." Interestingly, director Andrew Stanton said he listening to nothing but Newman's film scores while writing the screenplay. B

5/6/03
Robbies new tattoo -MTV
Robbie Williams has got a new tattoo in the way of two swallows on his stomach. The star showed of his new ink during his performance at Milan's Festivalbar 2003 festival.

5/6/03
Robbie has a couple of new birds -Daily Record
Robbie Williams has always had an eye for the birds - and now he's proved it again.
The superstar singer revealed his latest tattoos at a concert in Milan - a bluebird on either side of his belly button.
The bird tattoos bring the former Take That star's body art total to 11 images. They include a "B" etched behind his left ear to remember his beloved gran, Betty. And the words and music of The Beatles' All You Need Is Love are on his back.
On his chest, he has the French words "chacun a son gout", meaning each to his own.
Robbie's first tattoo, done while he was in Take That, was a restrained Celtic cross on his thigh.
But he's a real picture now.

5/6/03
Robbie's dad picks three unknown wannbe's -EMI Australia
There is, of course, only one Robbie Williams - but there will be three in his new video!
In a typically daring move, Britain's favourite entertainer has recruited a trio of lucky fans to take his place in the promo for his new single, the slow-burning soul ballad ‘Something Beautiful’.
The three Robbie wannabees - including a girl! - were among the excited fans who auditioned for a chance to star as their pop idol in his next video.
The contest was very specific in its requirements, to attend you needed to be able to replicate the charisma and unique performance style of the man him-self, although the contest was also open to wannabe Robbie-ettes too. And the winners were chosen by someone who knows Robbie better than anyone - his dad, Pete Conway, who commented:
"The whole day was very exciting with lots of people with lots of enthusiasm. It was very difficult to choose the three because so many deserved to be there, the bottom line was that the panel had to choose the three they thought the best from a very talented bunch."
Pete joined choreographer Les Child and casting director Mark Summers to select the three who best captured Robbie's unique charisma, energy and attitude. They are:
PETER CARUANA, 29, from Manchester.
"They say everyone is entitled to 15 minutes of fame and I am still due about four minutes and 27 seconds," quips Peter, who had a head start - he performs professionally as Robbie in a tribute band.
BJØRN WENNER, 23, from Hamburg, Germany.
"I want to have fun in life and I want to have fun in what I am doing and work for the chance to entertain," says student Bjorn, who flew into London from Germany especially for the audition.
REBECCA DURRANT, 20, from Harlow, Essex.
"It's a dream come true," says Rebecca, a student and musician. "I was nervous at the audition but I really wanted to prove that I could do it."
’Something Beautiful’, the third single from Robbie's chart-topping album ’Escapology’, is released on July 21.
His hotly awaited European tour begins in Edinburgh on 28 June.

5/6/03
Let Robbie Williams entertain you -New Zealand Herald
Robbie Williams is to be sent back to the United States by his record company amid mounting concern among EMI executives at his failure to break the world's most important music market.
EMI's frenetic efforts to recover its £80 million investment in Williams will see him embark on a three-month tour in September. The 29-year-old has spent the past few weeks in America but failed to convince a steadfastly lukewarm public of his charms.
Music industry sources said the singer's lyrics, describing the mental turmoil of celebrity life, had mystified audiences that had never heard of him.
Larry Flick, a senior talent editor at Billboard magazine, said: "There's a lot of commentary about how hard his life is as a star. To Americans it's, 'Who is this guy complaining about the hardships of being a celebrity? We've never seen him before'."
Over two weeks in America, Williams blitzed the television chat-show circuit and gave a live performance at a festival in New York, where he repeatedly reminded his audience: "I'm Robbie Williams".
But his album Escapology went into the Billboard 200 at number 43, a humbling position for a man accustomed to seeing his name at the top of charts all around the globe.
The record shifted only 31,000 copies in five weeks, by which time it had slipped down the chart to 156. Outside America, Escapology has sold six million copies and EMI must have hoped to shift a greater proportion of the 150,000 units they shipped across in anticipation of a favourable response to the star's promotional tour.
His efforts to crack the American market have again been thwarted by his commitments to a fanbase that reaches around the rest of the world.
But sources close to Williams said he was already planning a much bigger push in America before the year was out. His commitment to a three-month tour from September to November contradicts his oft-repeated claims that he is not worried by his lack of success across the Atlantic.
A spokeswoman for the singer said he would take a different approach. "He is going for the smaller, more intimate venues. He is going to be very visible." She said Williams had enjoyed his best response in the past fortnight during stop-overs in San Francisco and San Diego, where he worked hard on self-promotion.
Contrary to some of the knocking copy in the British tabloids, Williams' television appearances were effective in raising his profile. His appearance on the Tonight Show was diminished in Britain because the star host Jay Leno was replaced by Katie Couric.
But some American viewers were impressed by Williams and his flirting with Couric, who is hugely popular, and that edition of Tonight registered exceptional ratings. The show also produced a small sales surge for Escapology. Williams' problem is the lack of synchronicity in his career. While European audiences can understand the thought process behind lyrics such as "It's hard to be humble when you're so [expletive] big", the sentiment is lost in a US market where he is largely unrecognised.
America might be ready for the singer's earlier hit Let me Entertain You, but Williams is not ready to backtrack.
At Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival in New York a fortnight ago, he introduced his hit Angels with: "This song was released here a few years ago and guess what? It wasn't a hit. But I'm not bitter. It made me a star everywhere in the world but here."
Flick says Williams is also out of synch with American music tastes, dominated by hip-hop and heavy rock.
But if the American public does not get it, Billboard staff, at least, are fans, and Flick says the singer's next album could be the one that cracks America for him, particularly if he replaces his friend Guy Chambers with an American producer.
Williams' previous album, Sing When You're Winning, which headed the British album charts for weeks, made only number 110 in America.
By that measure, Escapology represents progress.
"In Britain, if a record doesn't go into the top 10, it's seen as a failure," Flick said.
"But it's a bigger landscape here. I think there's a huge financial commitment and the label was encouraged enough to believe they should keep working him."

5/6/03
I was Robbie for the day -The Wharf
OVER 100 Robbie Williams fans queued for hours outside ExCeL last weekend for the chance to BE their idol.
Auditions were held in the Docklands exhibition centre last Saturday (May 31), to find someone to perform as the pop hunk in the video for his latest single, Something Beautiful.
Applicants - who could be men or women - had to perform in front of a panel, including the singer's dad Pete Conway, with the brief to capture Robbie's essence - and among the hopefuls was The Wharf's own Diane Davey, The intrepid picture editor and Robbie worshipper took the judges' request literally.
She strutted into the Docklands venue handcuffed to a life-size cardboard cut out of her pop hero. "At first I was mortified," she said. "But I ended up really enjoying it. I thought it would be full of egomaniacs but the people there were all out to have a laugh."
Reporter Rebecca Smith, from The Wharf's sister paper the Daily Mirror, also got in on the act for a story.
Rebecca wore a diamante chain mail top, black bikini top and white hotpants with a "make love not war" logo for her rendition, but didn't make the second audition.
Nervous Diane suffered the nightmare of forgetting the words, but Robbie's generous dad helped her out. "He sang the words to me to jog my memory. "He was really sweet, giving everyone advice. He certainly wasn't a Simon Cowell."
Pete told the nervous throng: "Imagine what Rob would do, imagine how he would dance and act. Be Rob."
A self-confessed "rubbish singer", Diane opted for a different way to impress the judges.
"I thought about what Robbie would do and decided to interact with the audience, so I did some serious flirting with the judges."
Sadly it was not to be, as Diane failed to make it through to the second round of auditions. "I'm glad, once was enough," she laughed. "But I've got a taste for this now so watch out Pop Idol."
Robbie fans travelled from all over to the Docks venue.
Liz Parker, 20, from Devon, said: "I love Robbie and I'd love to be in his video." She won't be.
Rika Persson flew in from Sweden. He said: "Friends tell me that I look like Robbie, in fact I skipped the queue at a top Stockholm nightclub once by pretending to be him." Not today.
Norwegian Erik Arney brought his guitar along: "I know all the songs so I reckon I'm in with a chance," he said. No such luck.
The winners were German Bjorn Wenner, 23, Peter Caruana, 29, from Manchester, and Rebecca Durrant, 20, from Harlow, Essex.

5/6/03
Building the body beautiful -Dublin Daily
Obsession with body image is no longer something that affects just women. Men are increasingly attempting to gain a beautiful body and obtain that elusive six pack.
Think women are the only people under pressure to look good all the time? Think again. Open up a men's magazine, and you'll see page after page of muscley men with perfect pecs and a nice little six-pack.
The problem is that this image is completely out of sync with the idea of being a man usually put forward by these magazines – men drink 13 pints, pick up a woman or two and then have a couple of kebabs on the way home.
Yet the pictures given are of men with the perfect bods. At least us women have diets to follow.
Meanwhile, male celebrities have found that they will come in for as much acid-tongued, tabloid criticism as their female counterparts if they expose less than perfect bodies in public.
Actor Russell Crowe was once branded "The Flabiator" and has been laughed at plenty of times for his weight – in fact, even more than his dodgy hair (both head and facial) and his violent tendencies.
Robbie Williams was taunted with "Blobby Robbie" after his expanding waistline was caught in the unforgiving flashlights of the paparazzi cameras – Noel Gallagher referred to him as the "fat dancer from Take That".
Both celebrities have since toned up again – Robbie with the aid of a personal trainer and Slim-Fast and Russell with the power of lurve.
But no matter how they shaped up, the message now seems clear: being a flabby man these days is unsexy and uncool.
Dr Stephen Edwards, lecturer in psychology at the University Of Swansea, is in little doubt that men have become more conscious of their body image in recent years. "I think it has a lot to do with media pressures and a contemporary emphasis on looking good.
Advertising images are much more idealised [than they were in the past]. It's about wanting to conform to ideals, to be seen as optimal."
But Simon Gellar, editor of Men's Health magazine, refutes claims that men are now under pressure from the media to look like immaculately toned, cover models. "I don't think magazines have that kind of influence. We follow, we don't initiate. Most of our readers don't look like the guy on the cover. "The guy on cover doesn't look like the guy on the cover – he will have worked hard a couple of weeks before the shoot to look like that.
I would be more concerned if it [Men's Health] was read by teenagers but most of our readers are 25-44."
This is exactly the argument put forward by editors of women magazines and models that appear on the cover. Cindy Crawford once famously quipped: "even I don't look like Cindy Crawford."
In fact, men might have had this sort of pressure for longer than us girls. Gellar argues that it may be something of a myth to suggest men are any more vain and body-conscious than their grandfathers were 60 years ago.
He points out that legendary American strongman Charles Atlas, who elevated body building into a mainstream sport, was aggressively marketing the beefcake ideal and successfully selling body-building manuals in the 1940s.
"His adverts warned if you were skinny you would lose the girl of your dreams to a man who's powerful. The only way to stop it was to buy a body like his." But research suggests young men have become significantly more conscious of their bodies than previous generations.
A ground-breaking study by Dr Roberto Olivardio, co-author of The Adonis Complex, discovered that most men would ideally like 28lbs more muscle than the average build and found a close correlation between appearance and self-esteem. Weight training provides an obvious way for men to change the way they look and bring them nearer to the super-hunk image they aspire to.
"You can see a difference and really see instant results and you can see your muscles getting bigger. In most gyms you will see men looking in the mirror – they do have bigger muscles, you can see an improvement."
He says it's quite easy to get hooked on weight training, as men are spurred on by visible signs of progression.
"Weight training becomes addictive. Testosterone levels are boosted by weight training and we know it's a feelgood hormone, so it's natural for men to try and have that feeling."
So what drives men to put their bodies through the pain and commitment of body- building?
Edwards argues it's nothing to do with attracting the opposite sex but purely a way of boosting their own confidence. In fact, the academic claims, the Arnie look doesn't really do it for most women.
"On the whole it's pretty much a myth that women like men to be as muscley and masculine as possible. "When you ask groups of women about their ideal man, not many want very muscley men."

4/6/03
Mirror Girl at Pop Audition by Rebecca Smith -mirror.co.uk
Talk about the chance of a lifetime - meet Robbie Williams AND become a pop star.
The rocker was holding auditions to find someone to play the part of him in a video for his new single Something Beautiful.
And I was there. Fame beckoned at last. The only obstacle in my way was my inability to sing in tune, key or rhythm of any kind.
Not to mention a panel of judges, including Robbie's dad Pete.
Pulling out all the stops, I went clad in a diamante chain mail top, black bikini and white hotpants under my jeans with a "make love not war" logo.
My preparation for the big day in London's Docklands consisted of practice with a hairbrush at home.
Around 100 of us queued for six-and- a-half hours in 28 degrees before finally getting through to the auditions.
People had travelled from all over. Many were veterans of the TV-audition pop scene.
Craig and Sean had made it to the last 20 and 50 of Pop Rivals. Craig said: "I'm concentrating on recording my own music but I thought this would be really good. Robbie is great."
The tension built as we could hear the music inside the audition room.
My number 0022 was called. I had a swig of Dutch courage, and went in.
Beaming with pride at the sight of hopefuls desperate to emulate his son Pete told us: "Imagine what Rob would do, imagine how he would dance and act. Be Rob."
The music started and as I took the microphone I had a surge of sympathy for all those dreadful acts on Pop Stars. It really is harder than it looks. Once I got into my stride I noticed casting director Mark Summers nodding approvingly. My God, is this it?
Next up was Niki, 24, a stripper from London. She confessed: "I don't know the words so I'll just dance."
She leapt around, dropped to her knees, lifted up her T-shirt and wiggled her breasts at the male judges.
And then it was over. Pete told us: "Well done, you were great." We left and waited to hear who'd made it. I didn't. Neither did Niki. Fellow reject Becky Brown, 23, said: "It was harder for girls to be like Robbie because he's so blokey. But it was a laugh."
The winners were German Bjorn Wenner, 23, Peter Caruana, 29, from Manchester and Rebecca Durrant, 20, from Harlow, Essex.
A Robbie spokesman said: "We wanted to find someone with the "essence" of Robbie to perform the new track in the video - it could be a woman.
"There will probably be one main person in the video but the other winners will feature too."

4/6/03
The Robbie Williams Show airs in Manilla -ABS CBN News
The Robbie Williams Show will be aired on Star World tomorrow at 10 pm, with a replay on June 5 at 2:30 pm. This is a music special of the singer’s live performance at Pinewood Studios in promotion of Robbie and his current Escapology album.
It shows Robbie at his live best, performing on an island stage surrounded by adoring (mostly female) fans, enabling him to flirt with the audience, passing them numerous sweaty towels with his logo embroidered on them and just generally having a laugh.
His repertoire includes both his Ol’ Blue Eyes fancies and his signature hits like “Rock DJ,” “Feel,” “Mr. Bojangles” and “Angels.”

4/6/03
Erection time -Guardian
An English political article which mentions Robbie Williams:
At his press conference on Monday, you felt that this week's ever-present phrase was on the tip of Tony Blair's tongue. He spoke with exasperation of "the idea that we ..." - and then he paused, before continuing - "...doctored intelligence reports". If only he had said "sexed up" instead of "doctored", his scorn might have been more effective. For "sexed up" was certainly the phrase used in the original accusation and everywhere embraced by the Prime Minister's critics.
The original allegation, apparently made to the BBC by a senior security official, was that the government had asked for the report on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to be "sexed up". It was ambiguous as to whether this was a Downing Street phrase, or the streetwise idiom of the security official. (Perhaps he or she watches BBC1's Spooks and knows that secret service employees now themselves speak thoroughly "sexed up" English.)
It was used by Trevor McDonald on Thursday's ITN 10 o'clock news, and the next morning was being brandished by John Humphrys on Radio 4's Today programme as he "grilled" Defence Minister Adam Ingram. The Daily Mirror headline that day shouted triumphantly "SEX IT UP". Broadsheet newspapers all used the phrase too, in fastidious inverted commas, though someone at the BBC soon decided that reporters should substitute the phrase "hyped up" (itself once groovy, now old school). Clearly there was something a little embarrassing about the idiom, even in quotation marks.
"Sexed up" has been with us since at least the 40s, often meaning "sexually aroused or arousable". It still means this. In a recent article about antidepressants, Dr Oliver James wrote that "depressed people are anyway not very sexed-up". In an infamous example of the usage, Robbie Williams wrote a song, "Sexed Up", as an attack on ex-lover Nicole Appleton. Charmingly, he says he sang it to her on the day he wrote it.
Why don't we break up
There's nothing left to say
I've got my eyes shut
Praying they won't stray
Oh we're not sexed up
That's what makes the difference today.
"Sex up" also meant, for many years, "to increase the sexual content of" (as the OED puts it). Yet once newspapers started referring to "sexed up" productions of classic plays or operas, and everyone talked of Andrew Davies's trademark "sexed up" classics of English Literature, it was easy for "sexed up" to mean "made more appealing or exciting" - implicitly to those with low tastes. So, peculiarly, this week's accusatory phrase suggests condescension as much as fraudulence. Like an adaptor adding raunchiness to Jane Austen, it is implied, someone thought that the punters would not grasp the subtleties of the original document.

3/6/03
She's The One -girl plays Robbie in video -thanks to Jackie and BBC news
Robbie Williams is to be played by a female fan in his latest video.
Music student Rebecca Durrant, 20, from Harlow, Essex, is one of three people given the chance to appear as the multi-millionaire pop idol in the video for Something Beautiful.
Williams' dad, club entertainer Pete Conway, led a panel of three judges who chose the winners after a day of auditions on Saturday.
Durrant was chosen along with Peter Caruana, 29, and Bjørn Wenner, 23, because they had the "essence" of the Stoke-on-Trent singer. The lucky trio will perform as Williams in the promo to be shot over the next week.
Durrant, who is from Harlow in Essex but attends Hertford Regional College in Hertfordshire, said: "It's a dream come true.
"I was nervous at the audition but I really wanted to prove that I could do it."
Caruana is a resting actor from Manchester who performs a Robbie tribute act.
He joked: "They say everyone is entitled to 15 minutes of fame and I am still due about four minutes and 27 seconds."
German student Wenner, who is from Hamburg, flew in specially for the audition. He said: "I want to have fun in life and I want to have fun in what I am doing and work for the chance to entertain."
Conway, who was joined on the panel by choreographer Les Child and casting director Mark Summers, said: "The whole day was very exciting with lots of people with lots of enthusiasm.
"It was very difficult to choose the three because so many deserved to be there, the bottom line was that the panel had to choose the three they thought the best from a very talented bunch."

3/6/03
Appear as an extra in Robbie's video -www.robbiewilliams.com
Win the chance for you and a friend to appear as Extras in a Scene in Robbie's new video; Something Beautiful!!!
Following Saturday's search for a fan to appear AS ROBBIE in his new video, here is your CHANCE to win 2 places for you and a friend to appear as EXTRAS in the FILMING of a SCENE for Robbie's new video; Something Beautiful. We have a total of 80 places to give away, exclusively to members of Robbie's Inner Sanctum!
The filming of the scene will be taking place in LONDON this coming SATURDAY 7TH JUNE. Winners will be required for filming at the studios from 1.00pm to 6.00pm. The competition is open to all members aged 18 and over.
If you would like the chance to win 2 places, all you need to do is email us with answers to the following questions:
1) Where did Robbie write the song Something Beautiful:
a) Hawaii
b) Barbados
c) LA
2) Who did Robbie originally offer the song to:
a) Tom Jones
b) Eminem
c) Jonathan Wilkes
3) Who joined the Production Team to select the fan who will perform AS ROBBIE in the brand new video to Something Beautiful at Saturday's auditions?
a) his Mum
b) his Dad
c) Jonathan Wilkes
ALL ANSWERS ARE AVAILABLE ON ROBBIE'S WEBSITE!
For more details visit www.robbiewilliams.com. Please note that this is only available to Inner Sanctum members.

3/6/03
'Something Beautiful' released in Japan yesterday -thanks to Jackie
'Something Beautiful' was released in Japan yesterday. The CD single features the tracks 'Something Beautiful' with 'Cursed' as the B-Side and another visual of 'Feel'.

3/6/03
Skin to support Robbie -thanks to Susie
Skin, former front singer of band Skunk Anansie, will be support act on the following dates:
06 July, Munich, Olympiastadion
13 July, Gelsenkirchen, Arena auf Schalke
14 July, Gelsenkirchen, Arena auf Schalke

2/6/03
Abercrombie and Fitch Interview -thanks to Laura
A big thankyou to Laura who sent me the Abercrombie and Fitch Interview. It is a very funny article so make sure you check it out. Click here to read the full interview.

2/6/03
De-lovely as Robbie wins MGM dream role -Glasgow Sunday Mail
Robbie Williams is to make his movie debut in a Hollywood musical about the life and loves of gay songwriter Cole Porter.
Spurred by the Oscar and box-office success of Chicago, MGM are reviving the hits of Broadway's wittiest composer.
Chart-topper Robbie will play a 1930s crooner singing Porter's It's De- Lovely. He earned the role by covering another Porter hit - Did You Evah - on his 2001 album Swing When You're Winning.
The movie, Just One Of Those Things, is being seen as Robbie's big chance to break into the US market.
He will be joined on screen by other contemporary singers, including Elvis Costello and Alanis Morrisette. Kevin Kline will play Porter with Ashley Judd as his wife, Linda Lee.
Although he loved Linda deeply, Porter's homosexuality was an open secret in the golden age of Hollywood.
It would have meant ruin if his sexual orientation had become public knowledge. The script will focus on Porter's complex relationship with Linda, who inspired much of his music.
And the movie will be shot in Venice and London using sets every bit as lavish as the composer's own legendary stage extravaganzas.
Director Irwin Winkler said: "With some of the most spectacular music ever written, we'll be able to introduce Cole Porter to a whole new generation."

2/6/03
Watch 'Wimmin -from Tania
You can now atch the video to Ashley Hamilton's Wimmin. The song was also co writtem by Robbie Williams and feaatures in Robbie's documentary Nobody Someday. Click here to watch the video.