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29/04/04
Take That II -The Sun
TAKE THAT are to re-form at the end of the year – without ROBBIE WILLIAMS. The other four members of the band — GARY BARLOW, MARK OWEN, JASON ORANGE and HOWARD DONALD — will team up for the first time in six years.
They are planning a one-off live performance, plus a series of TV appearances and interviews.
The four-piece have gone back to former manager Nigel Martin Smith to negotiate the deal.
He is in talks with various TV companies and promoters but last night confirmed: “The band’s record label BMG came to us with the idea of releasing live footage of their old concerts. It was obvious that there’s still a lot of interest in the band — and none of the footage has ever been put out.
“So we agreed to put out a live DVD — complete with Robbie. It will also coincide with the re-release of the band’s digitally remastered back catalogue.
“The reunion is part of the deal. The lads are now deciding what to do but it will definitely include some TV appearances and interviews — and possibly a live special.”
Despite offers of £1million each by various agents to get the foursome to do a full-scale tour, Gary, Mark, Jason and Howard have so far refused.
They are worried it will tarnish Take That’s reputation.
Nigel said: “I have promoters ringing me every day with ludicrous offers. I’ve regularly been guaranteed £1million for each member for a European tour. But at this stage there are no plans to tour.”
Last week I was bombarded with calls from readers wanting to know if Take That — whose hits included Never Forget, Back For Good and Relight My Fire — were re-forming after it was suggested the entire five-piece were getting back together.
Robbie was furious at the suggestion, telling me: “There’s more chance of hell freezing over.”
The last time Take That stood on a British stage together was at London’s Earls Court on August 31, 1995.
In their six-year career the band sold 10million singles, clocked up eight No1s and shifted more than nine million albums.
Since then Mark has mounted two brief solo careers, Howard has earned a crust as a DJ, Gary has become a successful songwriter and Jason a property tycoon. I reckon there’s enough nostalgia surrounding Take That for a reunion to be successful.
But the four need to remember they were nothing without Robbie — the band quickly fell apart after he was sacked.

25/04/04
Robbie coins it with £5 bet -Sunday People
CHELSEA may have lost in Monte Carlo, but part-time fan ROBBIE WILLIAMS came away a winner. He popped in to the Sun Casino at the Monte Carlo Grand after Chelsea's 3-1 defeat to Monaco and put a £5 bet on the Royal Ascot horse race arcade game - and netted a cool £300. Punters looked on as the coins spouted out of the machine for over two minutes. The Robster's first reaction was: "Nice one you beauty."

24/04/04
Robbie live sees sales thrive -The Sun
IT’S not all doom and gloom in the record industry at the moment.
Despite falling CD sales, DVDs featuring live gigs are flying off the shelves. Recordings of concerts by ROBBIE WILLIAMS, COLDPLAY, and U2 have sparked a huge surge in interest.
Coldplay’s Live 2003 was the biggest selling DVD music release of last year, closely followed by U2’s Live From Slane Castle.
Robbie’s Knebworth special — What We Did Last Summer — looks set to be one of this year’s biggest sellers after shifting 46,000 copies in its first week. No doubt many of the 375,000 fans who caught Robbie in action over those three crazy days last August wanted a memento of their day.
Or perhaps the DVDs are just being snapped up by all the fans who were caught in the legendary Knebworth traffic jams and missed part of the show.

22/04/04
TT split for good -The Sun
BAD news for all die-hard TAKE THAT fans — ROBBIE WILLIAMS insists the lads will never get back together. GARY BARLOW was trying to arrange a reunion of the band who had No1 hits with songs including Back For Good, but his ex-bandmate has rubbished the idea. Robbie is furious that a comeback is even being talked about. He called me yesterday and said: “A Take That reunion? I’m afraid there’s more chance of Hell freezing over.” Well that does seem pretty categorical — but it is a shattering blow for fans who were hoping the lads would put their differences behind them.
And it won’t do a lot for the dreams of failed solo star Gary. He has been heard saying: “We’re all getting back together for something special. “It’s not, strictly speaking, a concert but we’re doing something in time for Christmas and Robbie has definitely signed up for it.”
Sorry Gaz, the man himself has a different view.

21/04/04
Robbie helps festival -The Sentinel
Robbie Williams has put up £15,000 for this year's Sanity Fair Festival in Stoke-on-Trent. Preparations are well under way for the event, the fourth of its kind, to be staged in the Cultural Quarter from 12pm on June 19. Last year's festival attracted about 20,000 people from all over the country - four times as many as the previous year. And this year promises to be even bigger after the ex-Take That star stepped in to provide £15,000 in funding. James McAteer, director of the Media Action Group said: "Sanity Fair is an exciting addition to the city's other festivals. "It celebrates the diversity of people who live with mental health problems and is a celebration of life and well being." Sanity Fair aims to explore and promote awareness of mental health issues.

17/04/04
Robbie gives boot to footy anthem theme -The Sun
SOCCER fan ROBBIE WILLIAMS has amazingly refused to sing England’s official Euro 2004 anthem – because he’s too busy.
The Football Association handed him a dream invite to record the song for the Barmy Army at the summer showcase in Portugal.
But he stunned them by saying he’d rather work on tracks for his new album. You’d think mad-keen Port Vale supporter Rob would leap at the call-up to inspire Our Boys to victory in Europe.
Surely it would be every bloke’s fantasy to join forces with Becks, Owen and Gerrard as the 12th member of Sven Goran Eriksson’s line-up.
Alas, I can only conclude that Robbie is now turning into an armchair sportsman.
The FA contacted him this week after I slated their decision to offer BLAZIN’ SQUAD the footie deal. My blast sparked a flood of protest by furious fans wanting someone better.
Bungling bigwigs had scored an own goal by asking the middle-class “rude boys” from suburban London to fly the flag.
Now they have made a U-turn to ditch the ten-piece and want scouse band THE FARM to re-record their 1991 hit All Together Now — with Robbie fronting the act.
The Farm seem raring to go although they are yet to sign.
But Robbie has decided he can’t carve out the time — even for his favourite sport.
A spokesman for the singer told me last night: “I can confirm he was approached by The Farm to collaborate on the FA’s official Euro 2004 song. “But sadly, due to prior commitments, he is unable to get involved.”

14/04/04
Robbie´s getting sneaky -Daily Star
Robbie Williams will attempt to crack America again but this time he will be doing it on the sly. Instead of promoting new material and putting on huge shows to win over fans, The Robster will appear at around 40 tiny gigs for his real fans.
The 30 year old's concerts, which will be as entertaining as his Knebworth extravaganza, will be more along the lines of his Swing When You're Winning gig at London's RAH in 2001 where he performed Frank Sinatra covers.
And according to my mole in the US, troubled Rob is hoping that his tour of the entire country will mean that he has a chance to win over a smaller army of fans.
He wont have the added pressure of trying to fill a huge arena appearing at casinos and theatres instead.
"Robbie loves it in America and has tried so hard to become a big star out here like he is in Britain" says my source. "But it hasn't worked for him. He is well aware that for the time being there is no chance of him being able to perform a show that will have anything near the same reception as Knebworth. So he has taken the brave decision to downsize his ambition and play at much smaller venues instead."
But Rob wont just be touring the US. There are also plans for him to record a song from the new Bridget Jones film sequel. He is also in talks with top Hollywood agent, the Creative Artists' Agency, which represents the like of Tom Cruise and Sting to resurrect his flagging career on the other side of the pond.
Robbie famously failed to make it as an artist in America, despite moving there to live.

14/04/04
Rob bed is top of the flops -The Sun
THERE aren’t many people keen to get into ROBBIE WILLIAMS’s bed any more. His old one, that is. It sold at auction for £15,400 three years ago and is up for grabs again on Internet bidding site eBay. But by late yesterday the top offer was only £510. Robbie gave away the bed bearing his signature in 2001 to raise money for his Give It Sum charity. After changing hands quickly a couple of times it went to its current owner who has offered it on eBay. But after five days only two people have expressed an interest. The sale posting reads: “The closest you will get to sleeping with Robbie. “This is a Heals top of the range kingsize bed signed by the man himself and comes complete with Bonhams invoice where the bed was purchased.”

09/04/04
Robbie joins youth team kickabout -Scotsman
A team of young footballers was surprised to find a multi-million pound new signing in their midst when they arrived for training – pop star Robbie Williams. The football-fan singer – who has been renting a mansion in West Sussex while recording his new album – dropped in for a kickaround with the under-16s Kirdford Cougars team. And even the 50p signing on fee was not a problem for Port Vale fan Robbie, who is thought to be worth more than £30 million. Joyce Morgan, 57, of Townfield Road, Kirdford, said Robbie asked if he could join in during the regular training session last Saturday morning.
“The coach said, ’hang on, the boys pay 50p’ so Robbie tossed him the money. “The children were really excited. He’s been around the area a lot recently and is always very friendly.”
The star stayed around to play for about an hour and a half, she added.
The landlady of the nearby Foresters Arms pub, Marlene Oliver, said Robbie had rented a house in Whithurst Park, and often came in for a drink.
“He’s very chatty and doesn’t mind signing autographs. He’s become just like one of the locals.”

07/04/04
An Englishman in LA -The Sun
HE’S best mates with Hollywood heart-throb Kiefer Sutherland and pop god Robbie Williams but 24 villain Greg Ellis would rather shun the celebrity lifestyle for a night at home watching Premiership football. And the Wigan-born actor – who joins the hit Sky One show tonight playing terrorist mastermind Michael Amador – says Robbie’s happy to join him. The 36-year-old said: “We don’t go out hell-raising, we just chill, take it easy and have a laugh. We enjoy all the things Northern lads do, nice food, footy and a phone call home to our mums.” Greg, who has lived in the celebrity capital for seven years, added: “We’ve been mates for about a year and a half and met playing football in LA. It was just a few lads having a kick around with me playing as a striker and Robbie at left back. He’s got a brilliant left foot. “He came to a little screening of my first 24 episode and was very sweet about it.” The die-hard Liverpool fan said: “It’s fantastic living in Hollywood but I don’t really get mixed up with all the celebrity parties. “I’d like to say I’ve taken loads of cocaine, slept with lots of women and spent all my money to fit in but no, you’ve got to be yourself. I stay at home with the wife, the dog and the cat and watch the Premiership. ....

05/04/04
Sun Rich List -The Sun
ROBBIE WILLIAMS
£60m THE singer was already a multi-millionaire before he left boy band Take That nine years ago. And solo hits such as Let Me Entertain You and Angels led to him clinching Britain’s biggest recording deal with EMI last year. Robbie, 30, who pays himself £50,000 A DAY, has sold more than 10million albums in Britain. Success has brought him a £7million mock 18th century castle in Sussex, a £1million five-storey pile in Holland Park, London, a £1million luxury apartment in Chelsea Harbour and a £3million five-bedroom mansion in Los Angeles.

04/04/04
Bridget Jones II - Soundtrack -Sunday Mirror
ROBBIE Williams' bid to conquer America is finally gathering pace. I'm told the LA-based star will have a song on the soundtrack for the Bridget Jones film sequel. My spy says: "He's very excited. The first film was a huge US hit and this is sure to raise his profile in America."

04/04/04
Cannes gets De-Lovely -Yahoo
Cannes to Celebrate De-lovely and MGM's 80th Anniversary With Screening and Concert De-lovely, a musical drama about legendary American composer Cole Porter, will crown the 2004 Cannes Film Festival with a special presentation after the Award Ceremony on Saturday, May 22nd, 2004. The film will screen that evening as an official selection out- of-competition. Directed by Oscar winner Irwin Winkler, De-lovely stars Academy Award winner Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd in addition to some of today's biggest pop and rock music stars, including Alanis Morissette, Robbie Williams, Lara Fabian, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, and Diana Krall. The film was produced by Winkler, Rob Cowan, and Charles Winkler from a script by Oscar nominee Jay Cocks, and will be released in select theaters on June 25, 2004.
With the presentation of De-lovely, the Cannes Festival also celebrates the 80th anniversary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, a very fitting tribute for the studio that popularized the movie musical many years ago. The tribute, in which MGM Vice-Chairman and COO Chris McGurk will take part, will be followed by exceptional festivities: after fireworks signal the end of the screening, a live concert will be given in the bay of Cannes featuring several of the music stars from the film. The concert will launch the Award Party, which will end late that night.
Nourished by swing and jazz, Cole Porter is the composer who gave the musical its respectability and was one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century. Winkler's film -- whose title is inspired by a song from Cole Porter, "It's De-lovely" -- is literally carried by its music. Kline stars as Porter, with Judd as Porter's wife, Linda.
Director Irwin Winkler, a renowned, Oscar-winning producer, presented his first film, Guilty by Suspicion, in official selection in Cannes in 1989. On the following day, The Closing Ceremony will be dedicated to the screening of the Palme d'Or.

01/04/04
New Biography - pre-order! -Amazon
First came Ebury's massively successful, 2001 illustrated account of Robbie's touring world, Somebody Someday. Now the time has come for the complete, intimate story of Robert P Williams. Spanning his childhood through Take That to his current status as rock icon, probing his love life and his family relationships, this is closer than you'd ever thought you'd get to Robbie Williams. Written by Chris Heath, who has spent nearly two years working with Rob on this book, every word is imbued with Rob's humour, charisma, talent, memories and complexity. But more than ever before, this book tells the truth about his extraordinary life. Billy Connolly told his story through his wife, and with Rolling Stone journalist, Chris Heath, Robbie's own story promises to be as brilliantly and insightfully told. You may have seen his face a million times, heard his music every day, followed him from the beginning of Take That, but this is a man with some serious surprises in store. The World According to Robert P Williams - a ground-breaking package; a truly original and brilliantly written book; a grippingly honest story of an extraordinary man.

31/03/04
Robbie Williams signs with L.A. talent firm -Reuters
In a sign that Robbie Williams hasn't completely given up on cracking the U.S. market, the English pop star has signed with talent powerhouse Creative Artists Agency.
The Beverly Hills-based firm will represent Williams in such areas as touring, film and television work. The deal covers the United States, Canada and South America.
Williams, 30, who reportedly makes his home in Los Angeles, was previously represented in the United States by New York-based boutique Little Big Man. America has long been immune to the charms of Williams, who is a superstar virtually everywhere else. In a statement, CAA said he has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
His most recent album, "Escapology," spent just four weeks in the U.S. pop charts after its April 2003 release by Virgin Records. Released the previous year everywhere else, it topped the charts in such countries as Britain, Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium.
A 2003 live album, "Live at Knebworth," culled from a three-night stand in Britain before 375,000 fans, was not released Stateside.
Sources close to Williams said he is taking time off, with plans to resume touring next year. He recently made his feature acting debut in "De-Lovely," a film starring Kevin Kline as composer Cole Porter. It is scheduled for North American release in June through United Artists.

28/03/04
Rob "No" to Bo show -Sunday People
ROBBIE WILLIAMS has bottled it and gone all shy after saying he'd appear with celebrity stalker AVID MERRION on Bo Selecta! BO: NoGinger geezer Avid - alias zany LEIGH FRANCIS - has been trying to get the super-star on his Channel 4 show for 12 months. So he rang his pal DECLAN DONNELLY at Rob's four-day birthday bash at Skibo Castle in Scotland and got the Pop Idol host to hand the phone over, A few Avid-style gags in bizarre Dutch patter seemed to persuade Rob to be sent-up. But, next day, Leigh got a call back that he'd changed his mind.

24/03/04
Rob´s highland whim -The Sun
ROBBIE WILLIAMS wants to buy a Highland retreat after his birthday bash at Scotland’s Skibo Castle went with a bang.
Robbie, who celebrated his 30th with a three-day stay at the plush hideaway in Dornoch, Sutherland, told golfers he loves the area.
The singer turned up at Inverness Airport for his flight home yesterday wearing a tweed jacket and a deerstalker.
Last night one local said: “He was telling everyone on the golf course that Skibo and the area was beautiful.
“He said the golf was out of this world and he would like to have a place up here — and would consider shopping around for something.”

24/03/04
Elementary my dear Williams -Daily Record
ROCKER Robbie Williams stalked out of Scotland yesterday after his 30th birthday bash - in a Sherlock Holmes-style hat.
Robbie donned his deerstalker and tweeds as he was whisked by jeep straight to his private jet at Inverness Airport for his flight south.
Some of his guests at the Skibo Castle party flew back by scheduled flights. TV presenters Ant and Dec happily chatted to fans and signed autographs as they waited to board their British Airways flight to London.
And Tom Jones star Max Beesley revealed Robbie's days as a party animal are over. He said: 'We were all on milkshakes.'
Robbie partied with 50 pals and family members at Skibo, near Dornich in Sutherland.

23/03/04
Robbie´s happy birdie -The Sun
ROBBIE WILLIAMS must be over the hill — here he is celebrating his 30th birthday by playing golf.
The birdie boy got the round in — away from the bar — with his best pals in Scotland.
I can’t help thinking they look like the 21st Century version of cheesy showbiz golfers TARBY, LYNCHIE, BRUCIE and little RONNIE CORBETT.
I revealed last week that Robbie’s family and friends have organised a belated five-day birthday shindig at the exclusive Skibo Castle hotel near Inverness. The big party is tonight.
I’ve got further evidence that Robbie is mellowing, too.
COURTNEY LOVE has revealed she appeared at the door of his Los Angeles home at 4am to ask him for sex — and Robbie hid.
Wild child Courtney turned up at the pad after a night on the sauce but terrified Robbie didn’t answer.
Courtney had been partying with GWEN STEFANI’s hubby GAVIN ROSSDALE, of Brit rock band BUSH, when they spotted Robbie on the town.
When he headed home she decided to follow.
Courtney says: “One of my friends had said she really wanted to snog Robbie. “People love him. They love him in England and everyone wants to f*** him. “So me and Gavin went to his house at four in the morning. I rang the doorbell once and Gavin said, ‘We’re rock royalty, if he’s not here in five seconds we’re back in the cab.’ ”
KURT COBAIN’s widow has been living up to her reputation recently. In the last couple of weeks she has been arrested after hurling a mic stand into a New York nightclub audience, she bared her breasts on TV and flattened a photographer in a stage dive at another gig.
Now THAT’S rock star behaviour, Robbie.

23/03/04
Just me and my shadow -scotsman.com
As if it were a real-life buddy movie, Robbie Williams’s belated birthday party at Skibo Castle saw the singer arrive with best friend Jonathan Wilkes. Like Starsky and Hutch or Morecambe and Wise, the duo seem inseparable. But while some celebrity friendships exist on an equal footing, this horse and cart has always had something of a lop-sided gait. Williams is a multimillionaire with an international fanbase, but Wilkes is most-often described as the "best mate and You’ve Been Framed host". With the balance of power so out of whack, just how does the dynamic between the celebrity and less-famous best friend work?
With both working in the entertainment industry, Williams and Wilkes were always going to be compared. Wilkes first came to public notice as Williams’s flatmate, but the pair have been friends since growing up together in Stoke. While Williams was touring the world with Take That, Wilkes was working as a Blackpool entertainer. When he finally got a record deal, his debut single, Just Another Day, was a flop and it wasn’t until he took on the role of Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show that he began to be taken seriously. Now presenting a number of Saturday night primetime TV shows, he’s come into his own, although his success still doesn’t compare to that of his best mate. So has the friendship been a help or hindrance? For Williams, having someone he knows he can trust amid all the hangers-on has proved reassuring. But for Wilkes, it’s not all positive. "Being Robbie’s best mate does open doors, but I have found it really can hinder you as well," he has said.
Coming out from your best friend’s shadow is not so unusual in Hollywood. Actress Naomi Watts finally shrugged off the tag "Nicole Kidman’s best friend" when she received her own Academy Award nomination. The pair became friends as teenagers in Australia, and Watts credits Kidman with encouraging her not to give up hope as she struggled to find starring roles. When Kidman split with husband Tom Cruise, it was Watts who moved into the marital home to comfort her friend and act as an unofficial nanny. Watts said: "Nicole was always there for me. She didn’t drop me because I wasn’t successful. When I was thinking of throwing in the towel she told me to hang in there, insisting all it takes is one film to turn things around completely." Against the odds, this sort of relationship can be mutually supportive rather than competitive. What Watts and Wilkes have in common is that they met their better-known friends and formed a bond long before they were famous, hence removing any suspicion that the friend is trying to buy into their celebrity.
This is also why you’ll find so many stars taking family members to events. It’s a surefire way to introduce a level of trust which otherwise couldn’t be guaranteed. Several members of The Spice Girls took their mothers on tour with them and Kevin Spacey and Emma Thompson both took their mothers to the Oscars. If a celebrity has been cut off from their community and old friends, immediate family offer a way of staying grounded. Unlikely friendships, and even marriages, have been formed from the entourage which surrounds a star. Jennifer Lopez and Mel B had short-lived marriages to their backing dancers, but Robert Carlyle and Rob Lowe both had more success marrying make-up artists they’d met on location. Having inspected the pores of a variety of A-listers, you can guarantee the make-up artists would not have been dazzled by celebrity.
For celebrities who shun the limelight, having "normal" friends is not difficult. Kate Winslet has said as much in interviews, pointing out that her best friend worked for a finance company. Perhaps chatting about "my day in the office" came as a welcome change to all that Hollywood tittle-tattle.
Then there are the celebrities who form their own cliques as a safety net. George Clooney has said: "I’ve got eight buddies, The Boys. They’ve been my friends for 20 years." Some are well-known, some not, but he cites them as being true friends, as they helped support him in the days before he was famous. Leonardo DiCaprio’s closed shop of friends, including fellow actors Tobey Maguire and Lukas Haas, is explained by the star as existing because: "I don’t really have time for new friends." The pact that keeps them together is simple - no talking to the media.
But for every mutually supportive friend there’s the one who is really just there to steal your thunder. Worst offenders were the gang of London girls headed by Kate Moss, with, in descending order, Sadie Frost, Meg Mathews and Fran Cutler. Mathews’s claim to fame was being a rock star’s wife and Cutler was a party organiser, but their famous friends helped make them household names.
Even well-known celebs are known to make the most of their friendships. When Geri Halliwell had a documentary made about her life a couple of years back she ensured she got on well with filmmaker Molly Dineen, who said: "It was all very girly between us." The final programme was suitably sympathetic. Meanwhile, George Michael’s friendship with Halliwell foundered when the support seemed to get a little one-sided. "Geri’s a lovely girl," said Michael. "But it’s very difficult to maintain a relationship with a person who lives for the press." In such a climate, perhaps the balance of power in celebrity friendships really lies with the lesser-known half. Jonathan Wilkes and Naomi Watts might have had to live in their best friends’ shadows, but that sort of loyalty ensures a friendship which should last a lifetime.

22/03/04
Rob caps spending on style -The Sun
ROBBIE WILLIAMS clearly doesn’t believe in dressing to impress – even for a fancy restaurant. Here he is stepping out for a bite at his favourite Japanese eaterie, Nobu in London, wearing a baggy green jacket, jeans and plimsoles. And he topped off his odd look with a cap saying “Everything’s cool...” Really? Considering he paid himself a staggering £50,000 A DAY last year, you would think that he could afford to look a bit more “rock star” than this. Still, dodgy outfit aside Rob, you’re looking pretty sexy.

22/03/04
Ken´s torch songs -Daily Mirror
DON'T tell anyone because it's supposed to be a secret - London Mayor Ken Livingstone is planning a star-studded concert to mark the Olympic torch being carried through London. Sting, The Who, Robbie Williams, Dido, Will Young and Craig David are all being lined up for the show. The torch will be carried across London on June 26 passing the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and the London Eye. And Ken plans to close The Mall next to Buckingham Palace to recreate the mood of the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. The show will be broadcast live on BBC 1 and the highlight will be the arrival on stage of the torch bearing the Olympic flame. A source tells us: "It will be the concert of the year. It's the first time the torch has been in London since 1948 so it's a special occasion." A spokeswoman for the Mayor said: "We cannot confirm or deny whether there will be a concert."

20/03/04
30 Weekend -Mirror
ROBBIE Williams will celebrate his 30th birthday this weekend at luxury Scottish hideaway Skibo Castle.
The star has taken over the entire hotel - where Madonna got married and Bill Clinton has stayed - and invited 50 family and friends, including Pop Idol hosts Ant and Dec.
And the Mirror can reveal the hellraiser will stay up into the wee hours... playing scrabble.
Robbie turned 30 last month but he was in Los Angeles. This is his first chance for a bash here.
His dad Peter and mum Janet are travelling to Inverness and then will be chauffeur driven to nearby Skibo. Robbie will arrive in a private jet.
He is booked in as Jack Farrell Jr - the name of his maternal grandfather.
A piper will greet the guests as they arrive at the 7,500 acre estate.
The singer, who loves Scotland, is expected to wear kilts all weekend.
Security around the castle will be tight with all the main entrance gates locked for his stay.
And although it's his birthday, he hasn't forgot about Mother's Day. He has arranged for flowers to be put in his mum's room.
Robbie's sister Sally and professional golfer husband Paul Symonds will also be there.
The birthday dinner tomorrow is expected to be a lavish affair.
There is a choice of seared scallops with buttered peas or carpaccio of Aberdeen Angus Beef for starters.
That will be followed by lamb stuffed with truffle and wild mushrooms or corn-fed chicken with baby aubergines.
The guests will sing Happy Birthday to the star as a huge chocolate cake covered in candles is wheeled in by staff.
After dinner they will all play Scrabble and Backgammon in the Library.
Robbie has asked hotel staff to provide lots of paper and pens - as well as cigars.
THE STAR'S GUEST LIST
CHRIS BRIGGS - record boss and "the man behind Robbie".
CHRIS HEATH - co-writer of his autobiography and close friend.
DAVID ENTHOVEN - his manager.
ANT and DEC - Pop Idol presenters.
JAMES GRANT - the duo's agent.
JOSIE CLIFF - his personal assistant.
PETE CONWAY - Robbie's dad.
JANET WILLIAMS - Robbie's mum.
SALLY and PAUL SYMONDS - his sister and husband.
MAX BEESLEY - a close friend.

20/03/04
Let We Entertain You -The Sun
ROBBIE WILLIAMS, I know you read my column every day so I’m warning you — put your paper down NOW.
Good, he’s gone, so I can tell the rest of you about his massive surprise birthday bash.
Robbie’s family are throwing the mother of all parties — lasting five days — to belatedly celebrate the star’s 30th birthday last month.
One of the highlights will be a spoof version of cheesy telly gameshow Family Fortunes — one of Robbie’s favourite programmes, presented by guest hosts ANT & DEC.
Robbie’s mum Jan, dad Pete Conway, sister Sally and his best pal JONATHAN WILKES came up with the ideas for the do.
The party is being held at the luxurious Skibo Castle in Dornoch, Scotland. It is where MADONNA married film director GUY RITCHIE in December, 2000.
Robbie is blissfully unaware of the bash and won’t even be there for most of it.
Guests are starting to arrive today for the party marathon which will finish on Wednesday.
The cost of their stays has been paid for by Robbie’s managers.
The star of the show will be flown in by chopper to the grounds of the exclusive hotel early next week.
His family and friends have pulled off a coup by arranging for cheeky chappies Ant & Dec to host the Williams version of the ITV show.
The Geordie duo will of course be following in the footsteps of showbiz legends including the late, great BOB MONKHOUSE, his successor MAX BYGRAVES and . . . LES DENNIS.
An insider said: “Robbie’s family and management have been planning this one for months. A special twist is Ant & Dec hosting the private version of Family Fortunes. Believe it or not it’s one of Robbie’s favourite shows.
“Robbie is back home in Britain until autumn and his family were keen to do something special to mark his birthday.”
As the likes of you and I will not be on the guest list, on the right The Sun’s computer wizards have mocked up what Robbie’s Family Fortunes might look like.
The superstar had a party in his Los Angeles mansion last month. Sally and her long-term partner Paul Symonds had flown to the bash and ended up getting hitched.
They tied the knot in a spur-of-the-moment ceremony in Las Vegas, with Robbie paying.
His sister has been the driving force behind the Scotland party to thank him. Robbie, if you couldn’t resist temptation and have read all this, do us a favour . . . at least feign surprise about the bash.
PS: It might be an idea to lay off the birthday cake too, if you know what I mean.

13/03/04
Robbie's superstar payday -The Sun
POP superstar Robbie Williams paid himself a staggering £50,000 A DAY last year. His salary works out at nearly £2,000 an hour, or £350,000 a week. The figures are based on the £17.5million the singer was paid by his own company in the first year of his mega deal with EMI. The lottery-style payout is revealed in the published accounts for Robbie's firm - The Good Company Co Ltd, which reported a turnover of £34,949,632. Robbie took half of that in the 12-month period up to March 2003. His manager David Enthoven is a director of the company - as is EMI Chairman Tony Wadsworth. The accounts show Robbie's firm got £22,605,000 from EMI record sales. Most of the earnings came from Robbie's hit album Escapology which was released in November 2002. A month earlier Robbie signed the record-breaking £80million EMI deal. The LP went straight to No1 and quickly became the top-selling album of the year. Around the same time Robbie released tickets for his 2003 European tour - which sold out in seven hours. The 450,000 tickets to his three Knebworth shows shifted in just half an hour. The figures do not include any other income Robbie got outside his record sales and tour. His company was set up to look after "the music writing, recording, performing and touring activities of the artiste, Robbie Williams". He is likely to have made millions more from merchandise, image rights, sponsorship deals and private investments such as property deals. He also still receives some income from his days with '90s boyband Take That. When he signed his deal with EMI Robbie declared: "I'm rich beyond my wildest dreams." But his enormous wealth has not prevented him from feeling blue. Last year he moaned: "Money's nothing to do with happiness. Sometimes I feel like cashing everything in and giving it all away." He added: "In my darkest moments I'm convinced my life would be easier if I didn't have as much as £100. "Then I could walk the streets as a free man, meet a girl - and live the quiet life that I long for." News of Robbie's fortune came as he made the headlines for piling on the pounds - around his WAIST. His weight has been going up and down like a yo-yo. The podgy periods often come hand in hand with his low spirits. And last summer he blamed his expanding shape on the anti-depressants he was using. Robbie, right, is currently in Britain writing material for a new album.

13/03/04
Cannes gets De-Lovely -Yahoo
LOS ANGELES, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- De-lovely, a musical drama about legendary American composer Cole Porter, will crown the 2004 Cannes Film Festival with a special presentation after the Award Ceremony on Saturday, May 22nd, 2004. The film will screen that evening as an official selection out- of-competition. Directed by Oscar winner Irwin Winkler, De-lovely stars Academy Award winner Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd in addition to some of today's biggest pop and rock music stars, including Alanis Morissette, Robbie Williams, Lara Fabian, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, and Diana Krall. The film was produced by Winkler, Rob Cowan, and Charles Winkler from a script by Oscar nominee Jay Cocks, and will be released in select theaters on June 25, 2004. With the presentation of De-lovely, the Cannes Festival also celebrates the 80th anniversary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, a very fitting tribute for the studio that popularized the movie musical many years ago. The tribute, in which MGM Vice-Chairman and COO Chris McGurk will take part, will be followed by exceptional festivities: after fireworks signal the end of the screening, a live concert will be given in the bay of Cannes featuring several of the music stars from the film. The concert will launch the Award Party, which will end late that night. Nourished by swing and jazz, Cole Porter is the composer who gave the musical its respectability and was one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century. Winkler's film -- whose title is inspired by a song from Cole Porter, "It's De-lovely" -- is literally carried by its music. Kline stars as Porter, with Judd as Porter's wife, Linda. Director Irwin Winkler, a renowned, Oscar-winning producer, presented his first film, Guilty by Suspicion, in official selection in Cannes in 1989. On the following day, The Closing Ceremony will be dedicated to the screening of the Palme d'Or. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (NYSE: MGM - News), through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. subsidiary, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of entertainment product, including motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The Company owns the largest modern film library in the world, consisting of approximately 4,000 titles. Its operating units include MGM Pictures, United Artists, MGM Television Entertainment, MGM Networks, MGM Distribution Co., MGM Worldwide Television Distribution, MGM Home Entertainment, MGM On Stage, MGM Consumer Products, MGM Music, MGM Interactive and MGM Online. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international television channels reaching almost 100 countries around the globe. For more information on MGM, visit MGM Online at http://www.mgm.com.

09/03/04
Daniella: my secret affair with Robbie NOTW
SEXY Danniella Westbrook had a secret six-month affair with Robbie Williams, the News of the World can exclusively reveal. The stunning 30-year-old former EastEnder has told close friends it was a highly-charged relationship and extremely physical. Danni told a pal: "Nobody knew about me and Rob at the time. "The chemistry was electric and we had an amazing time together. We were both very experimental." Danni was urged to reveal details of the fling in an autobiography. But the star insisted she wants to write a SERIOUS book concentrating on her drugs battle and therapy. Her agents have tried to persuade her to turn it into a SENSATIONAL and highly lucrative kiss-and-tell. But Danni won't be budged. Robbie and Danni—who once played Sam Mitchell in EastEnders— were suffering similar problems when they met. Both battled drugs and both have been treated by celebrity therapist Beechy Colclough. A pal said: "They were never in love but were very close friends going through the same celebrity problems with drugs and fame. "To the world, they were just good mates who partied together on the London showbiz circuit. Little did people know they were also lovers." In 1995, Danni landed Robbie a cameo role in EastEnders after he popped in to see her on the BBC set following filming of Top Of The Pops next door. Two months later, he gave her a birthday kiss as she carried out some National Lottery PR work in central London. Robbie, now 30, was passing by when he leaned out the window of his Mercedes and yelled: "Danniella, I love you!" At the time, Danni said: "We've known each other for years—he's a great guy." The pair were still very close in 1999 when they bumped into each other at another Top Of The Pops show. Cheeky Robbie shouted out: "Westbrook, nice t**s!" They were later seen cuddling. Danniella—who recently unveiled her new £6,000 34DD boobs—is now happily married to Kent businessman Kevin Jenkins, 36. The fling with Robbie happened some years before their relationship began. She also had well-documented romances with E17 star Brian Harvey and ex-EastEnder Paul Nicholls. Danni is thought to have been offered a six-figure sum for her book. She has already secured a ghost-writer. She started snorting cocaine aged 14 and by the time she hit the big time as schoolgirl Sam in Walford, she had a £300-a-day habit which ravaged the septum of her nose. Three years ago, she fled to a US rehab clinic to cure her addiction and also underwent reconstructive surgery. An insider said: "I'm sure she and Robbie had a lot in common. They were both single and enjoying full-on partying that comes with being a celebrity."

05/03/04
Rob's sis weds in Vegas -The Sun
ROBBIE WILLIAMS forked out for his sister and boyfriend to get married in Las Vegas. Sally and her long-term partner Paul Symonds had flown to Los Angeles to celebrate Robbie’s 30th birthday last month. They stayed on for an extended holiday — and ended up tying the knot in a spur-of-the-moment ceremony. Big-hearted Robbie, paid for a private jet to whisk mum Jan, who was also in LA for his birthday bash, Sally and golf pro Paul to Las Vegas. He shelled out for the ceremoney and then agreed to be best man for Paul, who is also a close friend. A family pal revealed: “Robbie was desperate to keep the wedding quiet because he didn’t want the limelight taken away from his sister on her big day. It was an impromptu thing. “They just decided to get hitched and Robbie was over the moon — and delighted to foot the bill for the happy couple. “He absolutely loves a big occasion, especially weddings.” It was Robbie’s second stint as best man this year. In January he performed the duty when his ex-flatmate, TV host JONATHAN WILKES, married his girlfriend Nikki Wheeler at Robbie’s LA mansion.

03/03/04
Robbie nets £ 17.5 M -The Independent
EMI Group's joint venture with Robbie Williams, the recording star, generated turnover of £35m in six months, according to Companies House documents, producing a £17.5m pay day for the singer. Accounts for In Good Company, the name of the joint venture, detail, for the first time, the earnings of the star and the commercial agreement between the two sides. When Mr Williams agreed to a six-album deal with EMI in 2002, the recording group took the unusual step of taking a stake in the new company formed to manage the music writing, recording, performing and touring activities of Mr Williams. But no details of the agreement were released at the time. Now, however, the notes to the company's accounts for the year to March 2003 show that Mr Williams's control of the company's A shares entitle him to 28.75 per cent of the non-recording profits, excluding website profits. EMI's B shares entitle it to 71.43 per cent of the non-recording profits and all of the website profits. The company was only trading for six months, however. Mr Williams is entitled to 100 per cent of the recording profits payable. These would appear to be payable after Mr Williams has taken payments in relation to recording activities which, in the six months reported, amounted to £17.5m, making him one of the world's highest paid recording artists. Sales relating to recording and broadcast activities for the company were £22.6m. Mr Williams is also owed £139,000 by the company, the accounts show.