Robbie Williams: Forget the Brits… The X Factor tops it all
THEY say never work with your better half — but Robbie Williams has explained why he and his wife Ayda have bucked the trend in serving as his’n’hers judges on The X Factor.
Holding the highest number of Brit Awards in history — 18 — and topping the charts in Take That and as a solo performer, the Angels singer insists the highlight of his career has been sitting alongside his missus.
Exclusively sharing with Guilty Pleasures ahead of the X Factor final this weekend, the dad-of-three said: ‘People say don’t work with your partners but it’s been amazing working with my wife; it’s like going to work with my best friend.’
Robbie, 44, admits to domestic banter with the 39-year-old US actress, adding, ‘BUT… she is very competitive, which has been interesting.’
None of his X Factor acts have made it to the final, but Robbie says his judging stint on the reality show also cured his fear of Simon Cowell, who famously rejected signing Take That in the band’s early days.
He explained: ‘As for Simon, when I first met him back in 1993 I was terrified of him and interested in him at the same time. Working with him on the show has been great. He’s a visionary, he’s a genius and he’s unique.’
Insisting his time on the panel tops it all, Robbie claims: ‘Being a judge on The X Factor has honestly been the best thing I’ve done in showbusiness, hands down. I’ve absolutely loved it.
Admittedly, I wasn’t prepared for how much I’d fall in love with the contestants, but a bond really forms, so the Sunday elimination shows are tough… it’s so hard when you lose an act. I wasn’t expecting to be so emotionally involved in the show, so I guess I would learn from that.’
Meanwhile, he is set for another feather in his cap come next summer, when he headlines a night at Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time Hyde Park.
Performing his first British solo show in two years, Robbie will hit the stage on Sunday, July 14.
Author: Andrei Harmsworth
