Robbie Williams doc on Netflix

[MaliciaKeys]

I've just watched it (day off work and it's raining out, don't judge me) and would be interested to hear other people's opinions.

Travel around the world; Go on tour; sing to millions of people and return home exhausted. Then report back on here how many days you spent in bed trying to recover from it.

My mum was a single parent and very poor. In order to pay the rent her life was one of bed-work-bed until she retired.

I also say this as someone who has just had to spend a day in bed because of the work I do - and it is nowhere near what he does in terms of physical and emotional outpouring on a stage. No, he doesn’t have to do this. He could live as simply as the rest of us but he wants that lifestyle and that is what he does to maintain it. Unlike the royals he wasn’t born into it. He has to graft.

I quite like him and thought the doco was good. Surprised he didn't talk about his family growing up, maybe his parents didn't want that 🤷‍♀️
I thought it was kinda symbolic that he has everything he desires yet feels the need to hide away from scrutiny hence the shut bedroom door etc etc.
The times he was talking about is when the press were so much more brutal than they are today, it must be horrendous to be publicly humiliated in print constantly.
In terms of his wealth, he just got lucky. Yes he worked "hard" but not harder than the millions of others who work hard too and never get ahead.
It's all luck and being in the right place at the right time.
Good on him I say. But I wouldn't want that life, I'm too concerned what people think.
😳

I would have liked to know more about his childhood.
The Beckham one did that, though I know it was focused on his football from the beginning.

I usually like seeing the domestic stuff on documentaries like this.
The glimpses of family life and day to day stuff, but by the final episode it was all abit cold and depressing.

Think it went on too long really and - try as I might - I can't concentrate on anything Ayda says due to all the 'work' 😬

I quite enjoyed it but was also irked at the obvious privilege and self absorption. Lots of people have trauma from the past or depression but they don't have the luxury of staying in bed all day (as he mentions that's what he mostly does).

Yes, I agree, he doesn’t seem at all grateful for his immense wealth. He shouldn’t need to work another day in his life. He might need to downgrade his lifestyle somewhat and he probably won’t want to do that.

I am genuinely sorry that happened to you. I have suffered from depression twice in my life, once it was PND, and the other time was due to a shitty set of circumstances combined with being bullied at work. It was pretty bad, i was off work for over a year and actually never went back to that job. For a while I could barely get out of bed. But I healed by going to therapy, being kind to myself and just generally looking after myself. I did wallow for a few months, but it didn't help. It has been over twenty years since my last episode, I think I know the signs/triggers so I don't think it will happen again. As for Robbie, obviously enormous wealth doesn't make you immune to depression. But he has access to all the therapy/rehab/supprt in the world, and never has to worry about work, paying the bills etc. So I will reserve most of my sympathy for people in much more precarious situations. Anyway I hope you find a positive way forward.

I do think if all the performing, touring etc are his triggers why the hell is he still doing it, when he was looking back, every step of the way ramped up his anxiety, depression etc.
Zero happiness and joy.
None of it makes sense.
He doesn’t have to stay in a job he hates to pay his mortgage fgs

Wallow? You think using language like that is being kind to yourself? Or to anyone who suffers from depression? As though we have a choice?

I have had a lot of therapy myself but I still suffer from depression intermittently. Therapy is not a magic cure.

Hysterical? I remember crying when my mum went off to work. Have a heart, people.

I think because he's in a different place now.

He has the support he needs and from the pictures I've seen of his latest concerts he looks happy to be entertaining again.

I doubt he'd be as affected by any bad press or unkind comments as he was in the past.

I’m not really sure we can say he’s in a different place, he didn’t look at all happy doing the documentary, sure he can put on the painted smile when performing, he is adopting Robbie the entertainer persona, underneath I think his issue remain.
I saw him at the now infamous Leeds gig, he was incredible no one could have possibly known in the audience how wretched he felt. Not sure much has changed internally, despite his wife and children he will always struggle with his mental health

He probably feels he HAS to be happy because he’s wealthy, with a beautiful wife and four adorable children, and an incredibly loyal fanbase. The problem is that depression is a bloody awful illness and personal circumstances don’t matter. When I was struggling with depression, my mum told me to count my blessings and think of those worse off than me. It didn’t help and in many ways, Robbie probably gets that kind of reaction all the time. What have you got to be unhappy about? Etc etc.

Never really liked Robbie much. Wasn't going to watch but got sucked in

Yep. Like him even less now

What a tool. He's s good showman but how much of that is attributed to the drugs ?

He isn't a musician. His songs are tosh snd he knows it .

The bit showing him being administered steroids was awful.

He seems desperately unfulfilled

he seems close to his parents and has a sister too, so quite surprising that they weren't in the doc. Weird even. I wonder why? His dad especially is very outgoing and happy to chat to the press.

I wonder if his family requested not to be featured?

I really enjoyed it and I was never much of a fan. I think he was a complete knob back in the day, not really helped by his circumstances, but I think he actually comes across really well now. I've really warmed to Ayda too, after finding her really annoying for years, as she seemed to be his saving grace

Given that yesterday was international Men’s Day and that there was a lot of conversation about men committing suicide rather than opening up about their mental health, I think some people should have a long hard think about what they have posted on here and the way that they have reduced a person’s attempt to be honest about this very subject to ridicule and accusations of solipsistic self indulgence. And all because mental health does not give us the cosy salacious celebrity entertainment that we crave.

Couldn’t agree more @Ramalangadingdong there is still such ignorance out there about men’s mental health and addiction.

My husband (an addict in - now long term - recovery himself who struggles with anxiety and depression) and I watched it together. For us it was a huge discussion point. We were able to discuss my husbands struggles and how we can look back at photos and videos and see where he was truly deeply unwell. He couldn’t recognise it at the time, his loved ones could. I found it an open and interesting journey into navigating mental health.

I remember reading an article when I nearly lost my husband to his mental health dark hole and it was all about the addicts need to be anchored and not to feel isolated. Our families worked together to do that for my husband and it’s clear that Ayda and his children do that for him, they keep him tethered. His age appropriate honesty with his daughter was (for me) a breath of fresh air. Her crying because her daddy was leaving was surely just so utterly normal. I was a mummy’s girl (still am) and exactly the same at that age!

I’m not a huge RW fan, I was lucky enough to see him a few times in TT and solo, I enjoyed his stage persona but was very reticent about who he was as a person. I don’t feel that now, I’ve warmed to him.

I still cant warm to him. I know he's had his struggles but it all comes back to drugs

I find drugs abhorrent. They ruin lives

I am glad he has found peace and contentment though. I hope he can protect his kids and teach them to live meaningful existence away from the celebrity life and the dangers it brings

I don't understand why he filmed it in his pants either 🥴

I don't know that he will protect his children and guide them away from a celebrity life - his daughter Teddy had more air time than his wife, and a lot of that was her singing and playing the piano. I really hope he doesn't start wheeling her out at his concerts to duet with him.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/21/robbie-williams-fan-dies-sydney-woman-fall-allianz-stadium-moore-park?CMP=fbgu&utmmmedium=Social&utmsource=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3iO8LCGXKLtHVl2IOw-T3mgJAekC01Asa4tO68xWdiG9U5Fja0IFWG2fggaem_Ada1TP2i1KSTQLGe0bmEEVc8Bvs5GwpUhSmlcotzcELZvXybvfbe0FTHOOuZWG9UxyA#Echobox=1700550493

This won't make him feel any better!

I watched the rest having originally given up during number 2. I think the general feel of the programme detracted from the potential content, all the darkened rooms etc. I'm not sure it even scratched the surface to help us understand what drives him or who he is , the issues of being in the music industry or famous in general are already well known. I felt he may be did this because other people have done these kind of programmes, its another thing that goes along with being a rock /pop star. I hope he is happier and coping well with life now.

The thing about flying is quite practical and better for the comfort of everyone on the plane actually.

I can’t imagine many people flying business class would be impressed with 4 primary age school kids, the kids would have to be quiet and not feel as comfortable in BC.

If RW and wife traveled in economy on a long haul flight, imagine all the fuss of passengers getting up and down to get good view of them, potentially asking for autographs/ telling him about projects and charities etc. That would be pretty crap for the kids on a long haul flight.

So I completely understand why parents and kids are separated in this scenario.

I can’t imagine many people flying business class would be impressed with 4 primary age school kids, the kids would have to be quiet and not feel as comfortable in BC.

Business and first usually has plenty of young kids present. They may have nannies but there's no way I'd sit in business and my kids in economy. They're my responsibility and I want to ensure they're behaving appropriately around other passengers.

I fly business fairly regularly and I can't remember ever being disrupted or bothered by young kids. Travelling on the tube on the other hand...