{"id":39144,"date":"2023-11-05T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T08:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1919787"},"modified":"2023-11-06T10:52:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T09:52:26","slug":"robbie-williams-was-belittled-for-discussing-mental-health-in-the-90s","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/robbie-williams-was-belittled-for-discussing-mental-health-in-the-90s\/","title":{"rendered":"Robbie Williams was \u201cbelittled\u201d for discussing mental health in the \u201990s"},"content":{"rendered":"

“I know celebs are celebs, but they’re people too.” <\/p>

By Katelyn Mensah\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 05 November 2023 at 08:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

In his new self-titled documentary, Robbie Williams speaks candidly about his struggles with mental health, following his rise to fame as a member of Take That at just 16 years old.<\/p>\n

The four-part series, which launches on Netflix on Wednesday 8th November<\/strong>, features never-before-seen archived footage of the star, including the highs and lows of his career and his battles with drugs and alcohol.<\/p>\n

In the documentary, Williams watches the archived footage from his career, something he described as \u201ctraumatic\u201d at times.<\/p>\n

Speaking to press including RadioTimes.com<\/a>, the pop icon said: \u201cNobody likes looking at photographs of themselves, and nobody likes hearing their own voice. So if you multiply that by watching yourself suffer with mental illness, breakdowns, alcoholism, depression, agoraphobia. All of the above. It\u2019s, you know, you\u2019re in a sort of torturous headlock.\u201d<\/p>

In more recent years, celebrities have began to speak more openly about their mental health struggles, including Lewis Capaldi, who earlier this year took some time off for his mental health.<\/p>\n

Speaking to a Glastonbury crowd, Capaldi said: \u201cI recently took three weeks off. It was a break for my mental health. I wanted to come back and do Glasto \u2019cause it\u2019s so incredible, so I just wanna thank you for watching us. I was scared but you\u2019ve really made me feel at ease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams told RadioTimes.com<\/strong> and other press that he had, in fact, reached out to Capaldi.<\/p>\n

He went on to say: \u201cIf somebody phoned me today, I\u2019d be able to talk them through it a bit better, and give them a bit of hope. I\u2019ve said in another interview, you know, I moaned so Lewis Capaldi could wail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Robbie\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Robbie Williams. Netflix<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

While speaking further about the toll fame took on him, he urged people to be careful with how they speak about celebrities and mental health, because above all else \u2013 they are people too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that if there is a thing called \u2018celeb washing\u2019 when it comes to deal[ing] with mental illnesses, we better be careful what, who we say and how we say,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

He reflected on his early career days in the \u201990s, and told press including RadioTimes.com<\/strong>\u00a0he was \u201cberated and belittled\u201d when he tried to talk about his mental health struggles.<\/p>\n

Williams said: \u201cI remember in the \u201990s when I tried to talk about what was going on with me, I was berated and belittled and told to pull my socks up, and what that does is actually isolates you even more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know celebs are celebs, but they\u2019re people too. I\u2019m not the hero that they wanted, but I\u2019m the hero that they need. And I\u2019m gonna stand up for all celebs.\u201d<\/p>