Robbie Williams blames album delay on 'unbeatable' Taylor Swift

Robbie Williams has never been afraid to speak his mind and now the pop legend has confessed he pulled the plug on his album release after realising he'd be going up against Taylor Swift.

At a comeback gig at London's Dingwalls, the Angels hitmaker told fans he postponed Britpop after finding out Taylor had locked in her release date and admitted there was no point trying to compete with the world's biggest star.

'We're all pretending it's not about Taylor Swift, but it f***ing is,' Robbie told the crowd, according to The Sun. 'You can't compete with that one, that's the truth.'

Robbie, 51, who currently shares the record for 15 UK No.1 albums with The Beatles, confessed he had one thing on his mind: beating that record. 

He continued: 'I want 16 No.1 albums and you know Taylor then decided to put her album out the week before me and I just went for "for f***s sake"'.

Robbie went on to joke that the decision was 'selfish,' but insisted: 'How many times in your life do you get to have the most No.1 albums the UK has ever had?'

The singer performed both his debut Life Thru a Lens and his new record Britpop in full during the sold-out show, with strict security ensuring fans stayed in the moment by banning phones. 

The new album, inspired by late '90s and early noughties Britpop, is expected to play a key role in Robbie's next big passion project - a stage musical about his life. 

Robbie also opened up about his 13-year-old daughter Teddy's budding songwriting talent, revealing she's been composing heartfelt tracks since she was six. 

The star also reflected on embracing labels like ADHD and neurodivergence, saying: 'I'm so glad those things exist - at least I don't feel like a freak now.'

The Daily Mail has contacted Robbie's representatives for comment.

It comes after Robbie admitted for the first time how he has been secretly living with Tourette's syndrome. 

The pop superstar claims his Tourette's are 'intrusive', with outbursts kept inside, yet his thoughts are so intense that not even performing for tens of thousands of screaming fans can drown them out. 

Diagnosed with ADHD and having battled several addictions since rising to fame in the early Nineties, the Angels hitmaker has endured multiple spells in rehab, notably for alcohol and drugs. 

Speaking on the first episode of the new season of Paul Whitehouse and Dr Mine Conkbayir's podcast I'm ADHD! No You're Not, Robbie admitted he recently took an autism test, which came back negative but revealed 'autistic traits' including anxiety triggered by leaving his safe space, his bed. 

in the deeply personal chat, the singer also admitted he's still terrified of touring despite playing in front of sold-out stadiums and arenas for decades as a solo singer, and before that, as part of boyband, Take That. 

It follows the popularity of his Oscar-nominated film Better Man, which depicted Robbie's struggles with fame, addiction, and impostor syndrome, illustrated by his character being portrayed as a CGI chimpanzee. 

On his latest health condition, Robbie said: 'I've just realised that I have Tourettes, but they don't come out. 

'They are intrusive thoughts that happen, I was just walking down the road the other day, and I realised that these intrusive thoughts are inside Tourettes. It just doesn't come out. 

'Not only that, you would think that a stadium full of people professing their love to you would work as (a distraction), but whatever it is inside me cannot hear it. I cannot take it in.' 

Tourette syndrome is an inherited, neurological condition which can be characterised by involuntary sounds and movements called tics. 

The condition has also impacted fellow chart star Lewis Capaldi, which was one of the reasons why he took a hiatus from music back in 2023 after his tics prevented him from completing a performance at Glastonbury. 

WHAT IS TOURETTE'S SYNDROME?

Tourette's syndrome is a neurological condition characterised by a combination of involuntary noises and movements called tics.

It usually starts during childhood and continues into adulthood. Tics can be either be vocal or physical.

In many cases Tourette's syndrome runs in families and it's often associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Tourette's syndrome is named after the French doctor, Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the syndrome and its symptoms in the 19th century. 

There's no cure for Tourette's syndrome, but treatment can help to control the symptoms. 

Source: NHS Choices