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.

I'm a big fan of Robbie and TT and I enjoyed it.
I wanted another episode! Where was Swing when you're Winning and playing the Royal Albert Hall, "I'm rich beyond my wildest dreams", him and Ayda as judges on X Factor, Candy?

If he's ND, maybe he doesn't enjoy wearing clothes so being near-naked at home is usual for him?

I bet the kids love it too. They can just sit and do their own thing: watch movies, play games etc regardless of flying business or economy. I am not wealthy and don’t have children so I don’t know what it is like to try to protect your kids from the damage than can be caused by extreme privilege. I suppose they’re just trying their best - like other parents I know.

I felt that him not seeming happy was because for most of his life he has played the Court Jester and I felt he was showing us that behind that is something a bit more serious, grown up, morose and boring even. I quite liked that. How many of us are truly happy? He says he is content and that is wonderful I think.

The thing I really loved about this documentary was his relationship with Ayda. I always found them both quite annoying and used to laugh at what I thought was her plastic face (not nice I know) but after watching the doc I thinks she’s beautiful. I was confirmed in my opinion that she can be an annoying “show off” just like him but I was impressed that he seemed to allow her to take centre stage when they were with their friends. It felt like they were really well matched. And I was so moved by his admiration and love for her. They are lucky to have found each other. I wish them so much happiness.

He's definitely found The One in Ayda. They are perfect together.

Bit late to the party here…

I think he’s totally lost and has never really known who he is. He didn’t have a chance to do so - thrown into that amount of fame at 16, painted as the cheeky one, then dropped for being the cheeky one but by that time totally hooked on fame.

So he kept going back for more. He was in a fabricated boy band, not discovered for his talent, more that he happened to fit a part. His whole identity, at a very young and formative stage of his life, must’ve been totally based on that. Then that all goes tits up within 5 years and you’re still only 21 with no other identity or prospects. But now that you’re a carved out as a pop star you have to continue, and continue chasing that thrill which was touch and go and then exploded again. It’s basic conditioning.

i do agree that he didn’t come across so well. I preferred him in the past clips rather than in the present. And not really too sure what the point of the documentary really was. I am also baffled as to why he keeps getting back on the hamster wheel? He’s clearly addicted to the validation that comes with being a performer, and being a performer seems to be a real love/hate thing.

Narcissists are often that way because they are emotionally stunted, which may be the case for RW. I don’t think we saw anywhere near enough of the real him.

Whilst I was never a TT or RW fan (much too into my cords and converse and Oasis and Blur and Green Day!) I do hope he can find some peace. I think he needs to retire and accept that despite it being the only life he’s ever really known, fame is too toxic for him.

Just watching this.

I was a big TT fan back in the day.

Robbie obviously had far too much far too soon with no one to guide him through his hard fame can be. He's clearly also had mental health struggles.

But I thought he came across as so arrogant, self obsessed and actually just nasty at times.

Just coming back to this thread after seeing Better Man.

First off, I am absolutely gobsmacked at the amount of nasty comments on here, not just about someone being self absorbed/up themselves (which is bad enough), but comments about him looking terrible with grey hair (WTF), using hand gel making him unlikeable and that he's "looking for an excuse to be sad" are just mind blowing.

These comments say so much more about Mumsnet posters than they do about RW.

This is a man whose father abandoned him as a young child, is neurodivergent, was thrust into fame age 15, was an addict at the age of 21 and has suffered clinical depression and anxiety for decades. But apparently when someone opens up to talk about these things, they're navel gazing, woe is me and filled with self pity.

Someone said these sorts of things to a friend of mine when she tried to open up and she killed herself a few weeks later.

As for him being in his pants - the director asked him to just wear whatever he felt comfortable in.

Parents didn't feature as his dad has Parkinson's and his mum has dementia.

Do better Mumsnet.

In his defence I saw TT on their reunion tour with Robbie. He joked about breaking out the hand gel then when shaking hands with the crowd. Probably a lot of pressure not to get ill and lose his voice? So many people depending on him to be fit to perform.