Latest news with #TakeThat
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Better Man
The BAFTA-nominated musical take on Robbie William's life, with the singer played by a digital chimp Year: 2024 Certificate: 15 Watch now on Prime Video Have you ever imagined what a film of Robbie Williams's life might look like if he were played by a digital chimp, and it were staged as a jukebox musical? That's exactly the approach Michael Gracey's film takes to portraying the ascent of the Angels singer, tracing his rise from the streets of Stoke-on-Trent to the heights of entertaining more than 375,000 at Knebworth in 2003. It's a rags-to-riches story then, but one shot through with the importance of relationships - chiefly, Robbie's relationship with himself. The portrayal of the ex-Take Thatter as a chimp represents Robbie's insecurities and how he measures himself through the eyes of those around him, personally and professionally. Two other relationships are significant here, too - that with his showman father and with All Saints' Nicole Appleton, to whom Robbie was engaged. The story of their relationship and especially why she didn't move forward with her pregnancy, is arguably the emotional core of the film and unexpectedly moving in what it says about the cost of fame and why people are prepared to pay it. Gracey's film is filled with creatively staged musical numbers that veer in style from West End razzmatazz to edgy music video, deploying nifty visual effects throughout that earned it a BAFTA nomination. It's also, we shouldn't forget to say, a highly entertaining film to watch, particularly the stretch detailing Robbie's time with Take That. Although it may leave you wondering why on earth anyone would pursue a career in pop music in the first place. (135 minutes)
Extra.ie
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Fan frenzy as tickets for Robbie Williams' sold-out Croke Park gig back on sale
Limited tickets for Robbie Williams's live show at Dublin's Croke Park on August 23 have just been made available for purchase. His upcoming stadium tour is in support of his upcoming record Britpop his first studio album in over 6 yearswhich will be released October 10. Just this week, the former Take That frontman shared the latest single of his new record, 'Spies,' following the release of 'Rocket' in May. 'I set out to create the album that I wanted to write and release after I left Take That in 1995. It was the peak of Britpop and a golden age for British music,' said Williams in an interview with Clash after announcing the forthcoming record in May. 'There's some 'Brit' in there, and there's certainly some 'pop' tooI'm immensely proud of this as a body of work, and I'm excited for fans to hear this album,' he added. Manchester band The Lottery Winners and rockers ELBOW will be acting as support acts for the 'Angels' singer next month. A limited number of tickets for Robbie Williams's Dublin show on August 23 are now available via
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Robbie Williams shares concerning news about parents' health
Robbie Williams has shared an update on his parents' health, saying it is "precarious". The former Take That singer is currently in the middle of his UK tour. Sharing an update on his own health, Williams reported: "Well, I've been ill with some sort of virus for a couple of weeks, which is making me feel very weak. It's par for the course on tours. Everyone gets something." He then shared: "Things at home with my parents? Very precarious right now. It's real-world stuff that deeply affects me and my wife. And if my wife is affected, you can bet I am. So the maths are: Virus + ill parents + stadium tour." Williams previously announced that his mother, Janet, had been diagnosed with dementia in November 2024. Earlier this week, the Angels singer told The Sun: "My mother has dementia and she doesn't know who I am anymore. She doesn't know where she is anymore." He also revealed his father, Pete, has Parkinson's disease and struggles to be as social as he once was. "He used to sing with me every night on stage, he would come out, steal the show and be charming and then wander backstage for a glass of red wine. Now he can't leave the house."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Robbie Williams shares devastating health update on his parents in emotional post
Pop star Robbie Williams shared with fans an update on the deteriorating health of his parents and his mother-in-law in an emotional social media post over the weekend Robbie Williams recently posted a candid health update on both his parents and his mother-in-law. The former Take That star, who is currently on a Britpop stadium tour, revealed that his mum who suffers with dementia is unable to recognise him now. He went on to add that his father, who he has credited for his love of music, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and is now unable to leave the house. In addition, his mother-in-law is battling cervical cancer, Lupus and Parkinson's all at the same time. In a lengthy emotional post, the pop icon, who is struggling with a virus while on tour wrote: "Things at home with my parents? VERY precarious right now." He added: "It's real world stuff that deeply affects me and my wife. And if my wife is affected, you can bet I am. So the maths are: Virus + ill parents + stadium tour." The star who shot to fame in the nineties, alongside Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald, continued: "Every single moment of every single day is in preparation for those 2+ hours on stage. " He said: "Outside of that? I have nothing. There is nothing to offer. I don't mind stating to those around me, I need protecting. And in return I protect them." Reassuring fans of his dedication to make every show as amazing as the other, he declared that he would be "on top of his game" but claimed: "Outside of that - I have nothing to offer or give, for the time being." His candid and honest post comes after he recently paid tribute to his family while on stage and stated that he "isn't ready for it", in reference to his mother's inability to remember him. Speaking to the crowd, he said: "My mother has dementia and she doesn't know who I am anymore. She doesn't know where she is anymore. My dad has Parkinson's and he can't leave the house." He went on to say: "He used to sing with me every night on stage, he would come out, steal the show and be charming and then wander backstage for a glass of red wine. " Robbie explained: "Now he can't leave the house. My mother-in-law, who I absolutely worship and adore, has three illnesses. "She's for lupus, Parkinson's and cancer. She is the most courageous lady and she is fighting, fighting, fighting," he said. He concluded his address to the crowd: "It's a strange place to be, this place we find ourselves, 51 years old, it's very strange to be the grown up. I'm not ready for it."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
What happened to X Factor bad boy Frankie Cocozza? Where the lothario is now after a CBB stint, famous flings and £200K booze blowout
At just 18 he became the X Factor 's bad boy with his foul mouth, unbrushed hair and names of seven sexual partners tattooed on his bottom, which he proudly showed off to millions of viewers during his audition. In 2011, Frankie Cocozza made an instant impact on the ITV talent competition and under the mentorship of Gary Barlow reached the live shows, before being axed for 'boasting about cocaine-fuelled sex sessions'. Still in his teens the singer issued an apologetic statement admitting his life had 'gone out of control', while Take That's Gary said he was 'hugely disappointed' that Frankie 'threw away an opportunity'. Despite leaving the show in disgrace, Frankie cashed in on his fame with several reality TV stints and headline grabbing antics. Yet he then fell out of the public eye and ended up working for £7.50 an hour on a building site job after years of hard partying and blowing £200,000 on booze. Nowadays, Frankie lives a quiet life in Australia - and MailOnline has documented the star's journey from reality show fodder to life Down Under. Frankie was said to have been kicked off The X Factor after boasted about drug use in front of production staff. He later confessed: 'I'm a drug addict. Simple as that. I just am. I love cocaine. I'm sorry, I do.' The singer provoked controversy throughout his time on the show and during an appearance on spin-off the Xtra Factor crudely claimed he had 'banged' Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan after the pair were snapped kissing. He told hosts Olly Murs and the late Caroline Flack: 'I met her... I banged her', before putting his hand to his mouth and saying: 'Sorry, I shouldn't have said that'. Holly was left mortified by the remark and told Daily Star years later: 'Frankie was so famous at that moment in time, the bad boy of X Factor, the talking point of the nation and that night, my date'. 'We all know what happened, yes, we had sex and we were pictured snogging outside of this apartment, the pictures ended up on the front cover of the Daily Star newspaper. 'Yet I wasn't prepared for what would happen that night, when Frankie was being interviewed live for The Xtra Factor.' However a decade later in 2022, Frankie claimed that he was paid by the reality star and her management whopping £1,100 to stage the smooch. During an appearance on The James Smith Podcast he said: 'Anyway, this lovely girl, and she is lovely, she's a sweetheart and she goes, "Oh Frank, I've just been talking to my manager and, basically, he's willing to give you £1500 in cash if we can have a photo outside getting off with each other"'. 'Are you winding me up? This is after week one on the X Factor. I haven't earned a penny, right? £1500 was like, f***ing hell, mind blowing'. He continued: 'Go outside, this little ratty geezer turns up in this s****y little motor, he goes, "Here you go, I've only got £1100. I'll give you £400 in a cheque"' Only to claim the cheque later bounced. MailOnline have contacted Holly's reps for comment. Following his 2011 X Factor exit Frankie said in a statement: 'I'd like to apologise to Gary, my fellow contestants and everyone who has voted for me, but, as of today, I will no longer be in the X Factor. 'My life during the show has gone out of control and my behaviour off stage has over-stepped the rules of the competition. I no longer deserve my place in the show, so I am therefore leaving. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me.' He was also forced to issue a hasty clarification about his tattoo and said the women simply visited the bar where he worked while they were on holiday in Crete, after they denied sleeping with him. The women revealed that they agreed to have their names inked on his bottom as part of a drunken dare. The names belonged to two groups of Scottish students. And following his claims on the X Factor many of them were forced to call family and boyfriends to reassure them that they had not had sex with the contestant. Natasha Hendry, Emma Dodds, Cara Dolan and Roxanne Fowler from West Calder, near Edinburgh, were inked on one cheek and Rachel Cathro, Jenna Robb and Ailsa Kane, from Dundee, on the other. Roxanne told MailOnline at the time: 'We never would have done it if we thought he was going to show the whole world. It's horrible to think people would believe any of us – or even all four – slept with him.' He went on to have limited success as a solo artist before forming short-lived pop rock band The Telescreen. The band have not be active since 2015 and Frankie has not released music in years, despite fans' pleas, but still describes himself as a 'musician'. Riding high on his new found fame, Frankie then landed a reported £30,000 payday in 2011 to appear in Celebrity Big Brother, and finished in a respectable second place behind Denise Welch. He then appeared on Celebs Go Dating in 2017 alongside Charlotte Dawson and the couple dated only for the relationship to quickly fizzle out soon after filming ended. The daughter of the late Les Dawson slammed the singer following their split, claiming she was 'used' to get more airtime. He then appeared on Celebs Go Dating in 2017 alongside Charlotte Dawson (pictured together) and the couple dated only for the relationship to quickly fizzle out soon after filming ended She told Star magazine: 'I don't speak to him. We had a good connection - as you could see on Celebs Go Dating, it was very genuine and real.' Yet revealing she feared he used her to play up for the cameras, Charlotte added: 'I didn't have him down for being a showman type of person, so it was a shock. It was horrible.' Despite adding that Frankie was 'an idiot' and 'stupid', Charlotte admitted that she still had a soft spot for the X Factor star. 'If I saw him tomorrow, we'd probably end up sleeping together,' she admitted, 'then I'd probably tell him to f**k off!' Frankie admitted he was determined to get back to work after being left in the showbiz wilderness and needing funds to support himself. He told The Mirror in 2017: 'I love being on the building site. I get so much grief, but its a crease up. I knock up pug (mortar mix) for the plasterers. It's fun. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning'. The star also made the startling revelation that he spent a mammoth £200,000 on booze, but after a feckless spending spree, was left with just £5 in the bank. He said: 'I didn't think it was going to end. I spent it all on Fred Perry and booze – among other things I won't say'. But the singer revealed he had gone through incredibly dark times, including the deaths of his beloved aunt Helen Cope from cancer and best friend Connor Saunders, 19, who was killed in an unprovoked attack. He said he blotted out his grief with alcohol and sank into depression, saying ' I covered it up by getting off my nut, which inevitably makes it worse'. He has now made a new life for himself in Australia and looks worlds away from his X Factor days with a clean cut style in snaps shared to his Instagram. Frankie is now dating lingerie model Emma Stubbs. He shared regular updates to his social media while living his best life down under and despite not releasing new music in almost a decade, his profile lists him as a musician. Prior to this, he was married to Bianca Murphy - with whom he shares six-year-old son Frankie Jr. Frankie and ex Bianca, who separated in 2022 after four years together, met shortly after Frankie moved down under. They tied the knot in May 2018 back in Brighton and the following year welcomed their son. The Sun reported that Frankie and Bianca remain on amicable terms for the sake of their Frankie Jr, with a source saying: 'Frankie and Bianca were madly in love but things just fizzled out over time. 'They have remained on good terms for the sake of their son, Frankie Jr, but have both moved on.'
