Share and Follow
Robbie Williams has fired back at a podcaster who disparagingly called him a ‘Redcoat and a fraud.’
The 52-year-old pop star was prompted to respond after encountering the critical comments on The World Cup Of podcast, which took aim at his illustrious music career.
During the podcast, one host claimed Robbie ‘got lucky being in Gary Barlow’s band’ and dismissed him, declaring, ‘You’re not a rockstar, you’re a fraud.’
This podcast episode followed Robbie’s tribute to the legendary Ozzy Osbourne at the BRIT Awards in February, a moment that coincided with another tribute by Yungblud at the MTV Awards.
The host added fuel to the fire by stating, ‘Oh, you’re a rock star. No, you’re not. You’re like Yungblud, mate.’
‘You’re a fraud. He’s just a f***ing Redcoat who queued up to be in Gary Barlow‘s band and got lucky.
A furious Robbie Williams has slammed a podcaster who branded him a ‘redcoat and a fraud’
The singer, 52, responded after watching a clip of The World Cup Of podcast hosts tearing into his record-breaking music career
A Redcoat is the name given to holiday entertainers with Butlins’ staff wearing red jackets.
The podcaster continued: ‘Robbie Williams never been a fan of him.
‘I think it was the year before, I think he attended Glastonbury with bleached blond hair, knocked about with Liam Gallagher, probably just shared a big bag of f***ing gear.
‘Nicked his credibility because he shared gear with him and all of a sudden – the Emperor’s New Clothes kind of thing – like, oh, right, you’re a rock star.
‘No you’re f***ing not. You’re like YungBlud, mate. You’re a fraud.’
Robbie, who is now sober, sought help for his drug addiction multiple times during the height of his fame, including when he checked into rehab centres in 1995 and 2007.
The furious singer responded in the comments, branding the host ‘cruel’ and a ‘bully’.Â
He wrote: ‘My algorithm sent me this.
‘I went to Glastonbury because people my age went to Glastonbury. I’ve never called myself a rockstar. Not once. I was on the bag. You end up where you end up.
The furious singer responded in the comments, branding the host ‘cruel’ and a ‘bully’
The series of cutting remarks included the podcast host saying he ‘got lucky being in Gary Barlow’s band'(pictured Robbie in Take That in 1992)Â
‘I grew up on holiday camps. What’s wrong with being a Redcoat? Or lucky?
‘I know exactly who and what I am. You, however display a kind of cruelty that doesn’t even recognise itself.
‘Scary. I’m a real Redcoat. You’re a real bully.
‘I know which one I’d rather be. One day I’d like to show you around one of my houses, so you can see exactly how lucky I’ve been.
‘You’ll have an aneurysm. I’ll send my plane to pick you up.’
Fans also rushed to Robbie’s defence as they wrote: ‘What a totally negative unjustified rant, I would say the world is a much better place with Robbie doing what he’s done and the weddings and sing alongs’
‘Hate music snobs like this. Live and let live, if others enjoy it, what harm is it doing you? The energy you put into the world is what comes back to you… ‘
Robbie was the youngest member of Take That – alongside Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald – and was in the group for five years from when they formed in 1990 until he went solo in 1995.Â
When Robbie dramatically announced he was leaving Take That after five years in 1995, his appearance at music gigs all summer long did away with his previously clean cut image.
The Angels singer was spotted with Liam Gallagher in August 1995 sporting peroxide blonde hair and drinking and smoking.
Robbie said in the 2023 Netflix documentary about his life: ‘I was ingesting everything I could get my hands on – ecstasy, cocaine, drinking. I’m literally drinking like a bottle of vodka a night before going into rehearsals, so that’s happening every night.’
When Life Thru A Lens was released in 1997, there was one song on the album that would send Robbie’s fame through the roof – Angels.
He wrote the track about his mum and after finishing the album promptly checked into Clouds clinic in Wiltshire as drugs and booze tightened his grip.
The song and the album would see Robbie certified as the break-out star from Take That – and his solo career got an almighty boost when he signed a huge deal with EMI in 2000.
The singer celebrated signing the mega-million pound record deal by declaring: ‘I’m rich beyond my wildest dreams.’
The multi-album deal with the record giant was at the time reported to be worth £80 million – the biggest in British music history.