X Factor star Lucy Spraggan revealed how Robbie Williams responded after she congratulated him on Better Man. The singer, 51, was transformed into a CGI monkey for the semi-autobiographical biopic of his life, released in December 2024.  The film charts his success from the early days of Take That to launching his incredible solo career, receiving mixed response from critics. But one person who thoroughly enjoyed the film was Lucy, 33, who collaborated with the Rock DJ crooner on the song Sober, which is now featured in her upcoming album, Other Sides Of The Moon.

After striking up a bond with Robbie during recording, the two kept in touch and the Last Night hitmaker dropped him a text after watching Better Man in the cinema. She recalled: “I watched his film in the cinema and it was so good. I sent him a text after, but I thought how weird because I’ve done a song with him. I just told him it was f*****g amazing.”

Robbie responded: “Yeah, monkey done good.”

Lucy and Robbie’s working relationship began when she supported him at one of his concerts at the Sandringham Estate in 2023. Around the same time, Simon Cowell told Lucy he was sending her 2021 song Sober to Robbie as the music mogul knew the Angels hitmaker would “love it”.

After chatting to Robbie backstage at his concert, he informed Lucy they would be re-releasing the single as a duet. Opening up about recording together, Lucy admitted they were able to bond over their shared experiences with drug and alcohol abuse.

She said: “I was trying some ADHD medication at the time and he told me it’s all just the same s**t. ADHD medication is basically speed, chemically. We talked a lot about substance abuse and then again exercise which is something that is also easily abused. I think we’re cut from the same cloth.”

Despite recording the song remotely, they struck up a close bond and stayed in touch.

Looking back at a fond memory, Lucy recounted: “I do remember I was walking my dog and Robbie Williams came up on my phone. I thought it was really weird but I picked up the FaceTime and he was in Switzerland with a mountain behind him.”

Mimicking the singer’s voice, she quipped: “Alright, Luce. Just calling to see how you are, checking up on you.’ I was just like, ‘What a f*****g guy.'”

Lucy is gearing up for the release date for her highly-anticipated album, Other Sides Of The Moon. As well as Sober, the album features a number of her other iconic tracks, including her debut hit Tea & Toast, and the more recently released Run, Butterflies and Unsinkable.

Lucy explained that each track on the album is a song of “defiance” – something she has been forced to implement in her life.

“Anyone that ever told me I couldn’t do something, I’d just block them out. I’ve had this skill since I was a child. If someone said no then I would find someone who says yes,” the star confessed.

Other Sides Of The Moon is out on June 20 and is available to pre-order here.