The One Show took an emotional turn tonight (November 26) as Robbie Williams promoted his forthcoming semi-autobiographical film, Better Man.
Robbie, a former Take That member, was reflecting on the true stories that inspired the big screen adaptation of his life, in which he is depicted as a CGI chimpanzee. The film is helmed by Michael Gracey, known for The Greatest Showman, who joined Robbie on sofa.
While the interview was mostly upbeat, it was a question from a viewer that led to a moment of introspection and raw emotion from Robbie. Co-host Lauren Laverne relayed fan Jenny’s query: “Do you have a favourite part of the film and how emotional was it watching it?”.
With a heavy sigh, Robbie shared a particularly tough scene that filled him with “shame” and was challenging for him to watch back on the screen.
“I think the bits with Nicky Appleton were the most difficult bits because everybody else in the movie was villain-esque in my life in some way or another and she’s the only person that didn’t do me any harm,” he explained.
The star described himself as an ‘idiot boyfriend’ (Image: BBC)
“So when I watch that, I feel a sense of shame that I was her idiot boyfriend at the time. She didn’t deserve that, she’s a good person,” reports .
Robbie’s engagement to Nicole Appleton, which followed their meeting on Top Of The Pops in 1997, ended in heartbreak. He has expressed remorse over their past, which was revisited during his candid chat on The One Show.
Elsewhere in the interview, Robbie disclosed the reason behind his portrayal as a primate in the new film.
“I love eccentricity and I love unusual and I love surreal, and it made complete sense as soon as he [Michael Gracey] pitched it to me,” he divulged. “I don’t know if this film would be as talked about if it hadn’t had the monkey in it,” adding that it “all makes sense when you see it.”
Better Man is out in cinemas on December 26