17 Nov 2002

MSN Chris Heath says:
Hi my name is Chris Heath. I'm here with Robbie Williams and his fish at home in London, ready to ask some questions you’ve sent in over the past few weeks, and maybe a few more you’ll send over the next hour while we’re talking….

Robbie Williams says:
Go!

MSN Chris Heath says:
Kristeen would like to know whether it is true that you recorded your new album Escapology naked?

Robbie Williams says:
I actually recorded bits of the album naked. In the studio, there's a big bit where all the band go in and there is a separate booth for the vocalist, which is I. A lot of the times there’s a music stand in front of the actual mike and it wasn’t like…”Yes I’m naked everybody look” it was just like I tried it and it felt liberating and…I didn't impose my tackle on my band, but yeah I did I recorded a lot of it naked :o)

MSN Chris Heath says:
but how does that help?

Robbie Williams says:
It makes you feel more vulnerable when you do the more vulnerable records. I don’t know how it helps. I just think it I dunno I just felt better doing it in the nude.
MSN Chris Heath says:
So which songs gained from your nudity?

Robbie Williams says:
Me and my monkey, Monsoon and I can't remember the other…Revolution? - no ­ I didn’t do Revolution, coz that would have been weird Rose Stone did that with me so that would have been weird, it actually was “I Wanna Love Somebody”.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Sometimes you'd literally go in the dark wouldn’t you? so nobody would know whether you were trousered or untrousered.

Robbie Williams says:
I'd literally go in the dark and put sun glasses on and be naked. It was like being in the womb.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Sharron Killick is very impressed with Escapology’s sleeve though she of the opinion you must have been mad to do it and asks how long it took you to get the bottle to hang upside down from a skyscraper?

Robbie Williams says:
Well originally the idea for the album came about because I was going up Laurel Canyon in LA where Houdini’s house is supposed to be. I’d seen some of his posters from his shows and they were all cartoons or they were all sketched, there were all paintings of him so like, the early one weren’t photographs. I thought that would be great if I called the album Escapology and I would be able to do drawings of me and it would mean I wouldn’t have to get photographed, which actually didn’t work out in the end as someone came up with the idea of being hung upside down of the tallest building in LA, literally off the side, and I was up for it because It sounded really scary and it was, but it didn’t take a lot of bottle to do it cuz because I wanted to do. What’s that picture of those blokes up on a construction site, on a steel girder eating their food, you know the one I’m on about, cuz you look at that and you go uuuurrh! Well, I wanted the same thing to happen when you looked at the Album sleeve and hopefully, it does :o)

MSN Chris Heath says:
So your hanging upside down how far down is it beneath you?

Robbie Williams says:
What to the ground floor? 60, 70, floors? 80 floors It’s gotta be more than that it was the tallest building in Los Angeles?

MSN Chris Heath says:
You could have been hurt?

Robbie Williams says:
Yeah you could potentially die a death if you actually hit your head :o)

MSN Chris Heath says:
But it wasn’t dangerous?

Robbie Williams says:
but well, everyone was professionals, they’d done it before it was Tinseltown, and they’d worked on stunts before. I wasn’t the first to do it. Well no I probably was the first to do “this” It was kinda liberating being that close to death.

MSN Chris Heath says:
You also nearly drowned yourself too?

Robbie Williams says:
In the tube? Yes, but that was really cool coz the water was warm and I dunno ­ it was just a nice day.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Marion wonders what you would like for Christmas?

Robbie Williams says:
Umm, there is nothing really I want. I’ve got everything I need. Just to have a right laugh all the way throughout the day. Play loads of games and be really happy that’s what I want for Christmas.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Donna Johnstone notes that you have been wearing a mask of yourself when you go out. Why?

Robbie Williams says:
Well, I have got these masks left over from a video I did for Eternity and I’m a really high profile celebrity at the minute and I believe that when I go to do my job …I believe that when you take my picture, do it anywhere other than outside my house and don’t wait outside my house all day. Cuz you know, you got the golden cage with the bird syndrome. I’ve actually been wearing the mask because you can’t sell the same pictures twice. So everytime I come out of my house and there’s four or five paparazzi out there everyday 24 hours a day, you know, if they take the same picture they can’t sell it twice, so eventually they’ll stop hanging around outside my house. That’s what the mask is for It’s not a disguise, not a Michael Jackson thing ­ just don’t hang outside my house man it’s uncool!

MSN Chris Heath says:
Is it a good look anyway.

Robbie Williams says:
No it’s not a good look, very scary. They can’t sell the same pics twice so they eventually stopped hanging round my house.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Is it working?

Robbie Williams says:
Yes it’s working - no paparazzi for 4 days! SWIVEL!

MSN Chris Heath says:
Matt Brown want to know whether you are planning on staying in America and whether this is reflection on the British tabloids?

Robbie Williams says:
umm.. The tabloids have a lot to do with it. Yes, I’m going to spend a lot of time in the States but I still live in England. I’ve sort of lived my life of the last 10 years under intense media scrutiny. I'm really a sensitive boy, I’m really over, over sensitive and it does affect me and I just need to get away and have a break from it every now and again so I get best of both worlds. ‘Coz I go off to America and nobody knows me in the US and then I come home and I really enjoy my work, I really enjoy my records and I really enjoy who I am. So it’s really just completely worked out you know.

Robbie Williams says:
Before I went to America I really hated my work and I really hated my life so it’s turned out for the better but if it’s direct indication of what’s happened with the media or the Tabloids ­ they’ve got a huge percentage to do with it yes.

MSN Chris Heath says:
And on the positive side of it what do you really like about LA?

Robbie Williams says:
What do I like about LA? The Sun shines every morning, I can go and walk my dogs, I’ve got a swimming pool and go and sit by, everyday nobody knows who I am. I can pretend to be whoever I want out there. People have already got an opinion of me here, you know, but nobodys got an opinion of me over there other than some of them have seen me on MTV over there a couple of times, and that’s about it. But it's great to actually meet people and have them meet me as in actually meet me rather than who they think I am.

MSN Chris Heath says:
I guess a lot of people have gotten the idea that you moved to America in order to become famous in America?

Robbie Williams says:
No it’s not. People do believe that I did move to America in order to become famous in America, with reports of me going to Acting School in American and I want to break the States by being an actor because I want to be famous in America. I have no interest in America at all. And right now I have absolutely no interest in breaking the States whatsoever. I’m not interested, You know I’ve been reading a lot about how this album has been structured to break the states like 'Robbie Williams is going to go and break the States which he hasn’t really cracked'. I’m not interested I really aren’t I’m really happy with my lot I’m really happy with what I’ve got and really that would be a lot…a lot of hard work and to tell the truth I’m not up for it.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Talking about the acting which you do or don’t do a question on video now from Victoria in London:

"Hi Robbie, Vicky here. How do you feel about playing Dougal in the new Magic Roundabout"?

Robbie Williams says:
How does it feel to play Dougal in the new Magic Roundabout. It’s really weird because when you go in to do it. It's just you by yourself and not the other characters there was this great guy with me who was reading the script with me. He was obviously being the other characters and I was obviously being Dougal and I’d got the accent that I’d wanted to do, which is very much up here (does pitched, clipped voice) so I wanted Dougal to be like this a little bit So I did that. Then they wanted me to do my own voice, after about 2 hours of doing that high pitched voice and I was really concerned bout speaking in my own voice and I found it really difficult. Hopefully they’ll still use my voice in the film I think it’s gone alright but it was really weird. But was great at the same time.

MSN Chris Heath says:
So how does Dougal sound now, can you give us a couple of lines?

Robbie Williams says:
Dougal sounds a bit like me but just a bit more exaggerated, “Florence, Florence!” Robbie coughs

MSN Chris Heath says:
He coughs a lot? Can you give us a couple of lines?

Robbie Williams says:
What coughs a lot He's got the flu and yes…”Oh, she’s iced up from the waist down”, “Is that liquorice I can smell” that sort of thing…

MSN Chris Heath says:
Terrific.

Robbie Williams says:
Terrific? Terrific! Mmm sounds like “yeah, terrific and on to the next thing :o)

MSN Chris Heath says:
Was that a little too Alan Partridge for you?

Katey Lou2002: Are there acts in the chart you like now?

Robbie Williams says:
There's an act in the chart I like ... Justin Timberlake’s song’s great, Eminem, I love Eminem always have. Coldplay are lovely lads and Grape and The Cheek Girls obviously and Las Ketchup

MSN Chris Heath says:
Anyone listening to Radio One earlier will have heard you’re a little obsessed with “It’s all Gravy?”

Robbie Williams says:
“It's all gravy It's all gravy remember when we used to say” ... the image of It's all Gravy being really weird, it’s supposed to be like ‘It’s all good’ isn’t it.’ But I just find it really weird I think he's a really interesting character as well, great 6 pack really handsome lad with the bling and the track suit

MSN Chris Heath says:
What do you think he’s thinking about Sunday dinner?

Robbie Williams says:
I think he’s actually singing about bum gravy? (Laughter) I didn’t say that.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Karen Hearn is interested in knowing: what is the silliest thing you have ever thrown a wobbly over?

Robbie Williams says:
What’s the silliest thing I’ve ever thrown a wobbly over? I ‘ll ask Josie. (Robbie’s PA) I don't throw wobblies. The last time I threw a wobbly in Milton Keynes Bow, when I looked out at the audience I arrived at the Milton Keynes SuperBowl gig…I thought SuperBowl? Bowl! It was like 60,000 people had come to see me and I was on top of the Tour Bus and I came in... and I looked out and saw 60,000 people and I thought “You know what? I’m not going on!” And you know I wasn't going on cuz I was scared beyond my life, I was petrified. If my manager hadn’t come and gone. ‘Rob look we can pull the gig there be a riot and it will cost you 1 million pounds.’ I went, better do the show then really. So I overrode my fear that evening and did one of the best shows I’ve ever done. Last time I threw a wobbler was in Iceland, ah man, someone threw a bottle at me on stage, and it was the worst audience I’d ever had it was one of the worst places I’ve ever been, Iceland Swivel!

MSN Chris Heath says:
So why did that send you into wobble territory?

Robbie Williams says:
I was already upset about something or another, I can’t remember what it was, I think the hotel stunk of fish. Somebody threw a bottle at me and that was the one reason I needed to go offstage and go ‘right get me a plane I’m goin home’. I did an Elton John. It hasn’t happened since.

MSN Chris Heath says:
John Redford would like to know whom you would vote for as the greatest Briton?

Robbie Williams says:
Modern day?

MSN Chris Heath says:
Like the thing on TV at the moment ….just the greatest?

Robbie Williams says:
I don’t know King Arthur, was he British? You never know these days they could be German or Greek?

MSN Chris Heath says:
What attributes do they have?

Robbie Williams says:
King Arthur and David Beckham. King Arthur has a wicked left foot and David Beckham has a wicked pork sword.

Katie: What's you biggest achievement so far?

Robbie Williams says:
My greatest achievement so far is actually stopping drinking. That’s my biggest achievement so far personally. It's a big thing I’ve done, you know wanting to get my life into gear become an adult and be awake and available to my life. That’s been my biggest achievement. Professionally, I would think that pulling the swing thing off …the whole show at The Albert Hall is the single most biggest achievement of my professional career and the record sales on that actually the album were phenomenal so it’s gotta be the swing thing as my biggest professional achievement.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Joanne Young says: If Stoke on Trent were going to erect a statue of you as their most famous son, where would you want it built and what position would you be posing in?

Robbie Williams says:
Where would I want it built? Where would I have a stature of me.. it's probably in the car park of the Ancient Briton pub and I’d be on a Pool Table ...but with no Pool Table just a cue and I’d be like that (as if taking a shot)

MSN Chris Heath says:
What's the significance of the pub?

Robbie Williams says:
That’s where I spend most of my childhood

MSN Chris Heath says:
What are your memories of that?

Robbie Williams says:
I haven’t got many memories of it. I just remember the beginning of the evening and not the rest of it. I just had a great time in there You’ve got camper as this interview has gone on, is that because you’ve become really aware of yourself? I’ve got a girlfriend you know.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Are you familiar with the words “F*’ and Off :o) Excuse me… Laughter

MSN Chris Heath says:
Ozzy ­ possibly not that one ­ asks whether it’s true that you’re going to become a hard rocker like everyone’s saying?

Robbie Williams says:
No. You suck one knob…you go to one Hard Rock gigs or a few Hard Rock gigs and you’re gonna become a hard rocker. I go to Rap gigs, I go to Rock gigs I go to RnB gigs I go to all of the above. Yes, I wouldn’t mind to Rock Yes to Rock would be good..To rock and sell records and the same time would be better perhaps I’ll a bit on the next album

MSN Chris Heath says:
but it’s probably days since you’ve been hanging out with Marilyn Manson?

Robbie Williams says:
It is probably days and the stench….

MSN Chris Heath says:
Only because there was that photograph of you and Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson

Robbie Williams says:
It was really weird because I gave Ozzy his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There was Manson there with his son and there was Ozzy who is the Prince of Darkness and we all get “hey this is Ozzy and hey this is Manson and then they play “Something Stupid”… which starts de-dink-tink”

Robbie Williams says:
it's a weird day there's a guy actually…Ozzy’s fans and solely Ozzy’s fans they are not fans of anyone else so when I got up everyone just “Boooooed” "you don't deserve to be here" so I did a Jedi Mind Trick. I got up and they boooed so I just went (chanting) Ozzy Ozzy and they were booing and suddenly the went “Ozzy Ozzy” and they thought Hey, he’s doing something weird to our heads…”Ozzy Ozzy” A triumph A triumph

MSN Chris Heath says:
so if anyone thought you were jamming with Guns n Roses are they deluded?

Robbie Williams says:
I actually did do a little gig one evening with Max and Slash man, Slash and Dave Navarro and Billy Duffy from the Cult. We did a gig at this place called Moonglow one evening and it was great, it was really really good .. and Slash (this is me name dropping everybody watch your feet) , SLASH around the my swimming pool. I sang him the first song that I’d ever written. Yeah it was the first song I’d ever written on guitar, it was called “Techno is sh*te””

MSN Chris Heath says:
Hows it go?

Robbie Williams says:
Erm no, I’m not gonna sing it…actually pass us my guitar please, yeah and it was me who can’t play anything at all on the guitar…with Slash one of the best Rock and Roll musicians of all time and I sang…
Seventeen he was just a kid,
took a pill in Madrid
and went out to play
ended up in a gay bar with you.
I ran amuck worked through my stash,
met a guy with a handlebar moustache
all through the night with their handbag shines
And the kids dance and dance making funny shapes with their hands
loosing loose change from their pants .. all through the night Techno is shite…

So that’s the song I sang with Slash

MSN Chris Heath says: How did Slash react?

Robbie Williams says:
He sort of had his back to me but everybody stopped and listened and laughed at the appropriate places. And then clapped at the end. It was a very surreal beautiful moment…They clapped. I’d had the balls to play something that’s only got three cords in it …to Slash! And of course he’s from Stoke On Trent where I’m from too

MSN Chris Heath says:
But he doesn’t have a statue yet either

Robbie Williams says:
He’ll probably get one of his own

Robbie Williams says:
How many names can I drop in 1/2 hours? stay turned

MSN Chris Heath says:
and when you did this concert what did you sing?

Robbie Williams says:
I sang My Generation and Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen cuz they’re probably the two rock songs I know all the words too

MSN Chris Heath says:
Houdini ­ possibly not that one either ­ would like to know what you have escaped from?

Robbie Williams says:
Escaped from? I think I just clutched Robbie back from the jaws of death, ‘coz at the end of last year I was just going to kill this character that I’d created, off. Coz I was sick of it. Which inevitably, If you look through your rock n roll or pop history books people tend to always do, feel a bit crap about themselves if they work themselves into the ground. I’m really text book with everything, I’d sorta worked myself into the ground. This album was going to be the Greatest Hits and I was going to kill Robbie off and join a band and do something completely different. I think in my time off a few early nights and a few square meals and a great album . This album shaped up in the studio, and we finished the album and I ditched the greatest hits, stay being me and in enjoying it.So I escaped from killing something off that I really do enjoy.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Why do you consider Robbie Williams a character?

Robbie Williams says:
Well Robbie, the name actually, I didn’t choose to be Robbie it was chosen by Nigel Martin Smith my first manager when I was with Take That. Dropping the name.. I didn't chose to be Robbie, and I've actually hated the name. I’m so glad Robbie Fowler is out there coz he’s cool

Robbie Williams says:
I just thought Robbie was so..(chants) “Robbie!, Robbie!” and it's weird because when I go on-stage I’ve got a suit of armour on I'm not who I am at home. When I write the songs, hopefully I put my heart emotions and all my feelings into the song and when I perform I become me magnified by about 10 or 20 and it's all protection and it’s all entertaining so inevitably I do see that as becoming a character

MSN Chris Heath says:
What did Nigel Martin Smith think was wrong with Rob or Robin?

Robbie Williams says:
I think Nigel Martin Smith wanted to create the universe, yeah re-create the universe, microscopically, from Manchester and I think it was just another thing he wanted control of by just renaming me.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Kat has just written in to ask if you weren't “Robbie” what would you do as a job?

Robbie Williams says:
I’d really would like to say something nice and very giving, like work for a charity or some religious order, but I'd probably be a drug dealer

MSN Chris Heath says:
Why would that suit you?

Robbie Williams says:
Easy money very quick, love the thrill love the ducking love the diving, I’m a bit woorr…

MSN Chris Heath says:
There's a big down side though?

Robbie Williams says:
Yeah the jail sentences and being you know having yer jobbie jammed, I think you know what I’m on about having your jobby jammed by the Maitre D’ of your Prison Cell. That's why I'd never sell drugs...

MSN Chris Heath says:
Glad to hear it

Robbie Williams says:
RW I’d like my bottom intact

MSN Chris Heath says:
I’m sure everyone really appreciates you clarifying that…Katie asks what's you favourite track is from Escapology and why?

Robbie Williams says:
Over the past weeks. Coz I’ve been doing promotion in Europe I’ve been saying it’s “Come Undone”, and it’s not now. Come Undone was my favourite I think Me and My Monkey is now it

MSN Chris Heath says:
Why did you like Come Undone particularly?

Robbie Williams says:
I think it’s got the most soul and the most heart of any record I've done. And it’s really simple iI's simple .. the chords are very easy, simple chords.

MSN Chris Heath says:
What's it about?

Robbie Williams says:
It's about the dichotomy, a word I like to use a lot about being me so unimpressed and so in awe, you know such a saint but such a whore so self aware so full of sh*t so indecisive so adamant I'm contemplating thinking about thinking it’s so frustrating lets get another drink in Come Undone. You know it’s from my heart that’s why I love it so much

MSN Chris Heath says:
And why has “Me and my Monkey” ridden into this place in your heart now?

Robbie Williams says:
Fhh because it’s been the one that everyone is picking up on since the album came out.. They’ve been playing it a lot on Radio and it takes you to another place it's a story song and I think that’s how it actually works, the same sort of way that Stan did with Eminem and what Johnny Cash did with A Boy Named Sue and hopefully Rocky Racoon of the White Album that Paul McCartney song. It’s my favourite cuz I think the lyrics are great and I sing it well and there’s loads of great characters in it

MSN Chris Heath says:
Whats happening in the story?

Robbie Williams says:
Whats sort of happening is that I'm the guardian of this monkey who wears rollerblades and dungarees and has got a gun and is chased by people, we are being chased by people. And he’s sort of a drug addict that sleeps with prostitutes is this Monkey and eh…and we end up in a gun fight in this casino in Los Angeles at the end of the song. Obviously it’s all artistic licence

MSN Chris Heath says:
and that came into your head because?!

Robbie Williams says:
I dunno! I was around the pool and someone said monkey with dungarees and rollerblades and I thought that’s interesting and then I just let my head loose and that’s where it went, it went to Los Angeles that’s where we ended up…it’s just a train of thought

MSN Chris Heath says:
Somebody watching wonders whether the fish in your fish tank have names?

Robbie Williams says:
Yeah, actually only one of them has a name. It's that blue one, John? No it’s one of the orange ones. See? That orange one is called Hootie beyat Ugly? Bayat in Stoke on Trent which is where I’m from means.. how are you? Hootie obviously because Hootie is a blowfish and it’s a very ugly fish. So that one and only that one is called Hootie Beyat Ugly and the others haven’t got any names

Robbie Williams says:
Ones' on its last legs over there... you can't see it. Or last Fins. He has fin rot. He spends a lot of time on the floor, he sort of picked up in the last couple of days hasn’t he ­ I think he’s gonna live . but I touched him and now I have the flu ­ I think he might have had a 24 hour bug or something. Cuz he is a sucker fish and he’s got his fin out of the water like that and he lies at the top with his fins out of the water and I can’t help but prod him he might have the flu coz I've got it.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Another question on video, this one from Clare in Cambridge:
"Hi Robbie, I’m Clare I just want to name what you think about PopStars - would you ever have done it?"

Robbie Williams says:
I think of Popstars.. umm. I really think that it's cruel TV and somewhat compulsive. Pop Rivals is less addictive than Fame Academy.I haven’t got a favourite all of them have dreams .. it's sort of like cruel TV.. I know what dreams those people have cuz I had the same sort of dreams and to actually play them out on the TV for ratings coz lets not forget that all of this is about ratings and all of this is about making somebody rich somewhere it's not going to be those people on the programme. I mean with a bit of luck and a bit of passion and a bit of balls they can fashion their own career but I think someone is going to get really ill on these programmes and I think reality TV has oversold itself and outplayed itself. But it’s great you know cuz it’s making me look like I’m amazing so long may they continue

MSN Chris Heath says:
On a similar subject is something strange happening....? [ A scantily clad friend of Robbie’s has appeared wearing a thong and bra and is pretending she is swimming in the large fish tank behind it]

Robbie Williams says:
Did you catch that? My friend Melitsa got naked down behnd the fish tank pretending to be a fish..(laughter) Do you call that wicked. That was beautiful babe!! Did you see that Nick?

MSN Chris Heath says:
On a similar subject, not that one! The Pop Idol subject …

Robbie Williams says:
By the way I wish all of them luck I loathe those show those particular shows are trying to fashion them into something they are not. I hate the way that their lives are being played out on the TV and Yes I would have done it myself…you know if I hadn’t have had a break which I have had

MSN Chris Heath says:
How would you have done?

Robbie Williams says:
Probably really really badly , you know coz they make you sing all sorts of songs that don’t suit your range and don’t suit how you are as an artist you know and I’d have probably done really really badly

MSN Chris Heath says:
Nikunj Patel read that Louis Walsh called you a “jumped-up karaoke singer” who would not make it on his show, and is curious about your opinion of him as a judge and a critic?

Robbie Williams says:
I believe that those shows get in a lot of people being malicious about getting nasty about it and they are probably receiving from people on the street to people in the media or to musicians and artists like myself and it must be difficult for them to hear it every day so to actually hear me saying it’s cruel TV, it probably got his back up and about “Jumped up Karaoke Singer” ­ yeah! If you’d be prepared to listen to one of my b sides .. It’s called Karaoke I am the king of karaoke.. and I like it that way thank you very much and no I wouldn't have done well on his show so I think that everything he said is factual and what do I think of him as a judge? I dunno cuz I haven’t watched the show that much. He's a very talented man he has a big habit of making things stick you know so I respect him

MSN Chris Heath says:
Tracy Blacher would like you to describe what a reality TV documentary of Robbie Williams at home would be like?

Robbie Williams says:
It s really really boring coz nothing happens, unless you’re really interested in table tennis and football and Sky Sports news channel then nothing happens apart from I get up at about 1 o’clock 2 pm in the afternoon, I play table tennis a little bit I eat, I watch the tv and I go to work, sometimes I might go to the cinema It would be the most boring reality TV show ever That’s it

Robbie Williams says:
I play a few games that’s about it

MSN Chris Heath says:
It’s not boring to live it?

Robbie Williams says:
Oh God no but it would be boring to watch it.. I’m very happy with it but not a lot goes on.. It’s the same every day

MSN Chris Heath says:
Bingly Bingly asks - and perhaps you can sympathise with his predicament - whether you have any idea where he has put his socks?

Robbie Williams says:
What? yeah I think you’ll find that they are behind the headboard of his bed

Robbie Williams says:
I dunno...BinglyBingly asked me where he put his socks. I dunno he probably had a jodrel the night before, ran out of toilet paper ­ they are probably underneath his bed. I dunno ask a silly question….

MSN Chris Heath says:
I thought not such a strange question as you’ve had some difficulty with your own socks this year

Robbie Williams says:
Yeah but I don’t jodrel into them right I’ve got a tissue for that ­ where has this gone ? (laughs)

MSN Chris Heath says:
It will get worse…

MSN Chris Heath says:
Pixiedust would like to know what you wear in bed?

Robbie Williams says:
nothing - absolutely starkers

MSN Chris Heath says:
Why?

Robbie Williams says:
I feel restricted in clothes.. I'm going to be one of those embarrassing naturalist Dad’s when I’m older cuz I like being naked and don't mind people seeing my tackle even though it’s not the largest in the kingdom of pop

MSN Chris Heath says:
You have compared and contrasted have you?

Robbie Williams says:
Well I’m sure there’s people out there in the Kingdom of pop that have much bigger todgers than me. I'm kinda at one with being naked. I like it.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Have rock stars got to be able to sing?

Robbie Williams says:
No, I don't think so, as long as they have got soul and as long as they’ve got heart then they don’t really need to be able to sing. Shaun Rider couldn’t sing and he’s amazing Ian Brown can't really sing and he's phenomenal and I’ve got a lot of respect for both of those artists. They have loads of heart and they’ve got loads of soul and they are no different in real life to how they are on the record to what they are on stage ­ they just got soul….

MSN Chris Heath says:
Chris asks how often do you see your friends?

Robbie Williams says:
One’s there! (points) They are all about all the time...all the time. I never really go that far without …a couple of weeks. Everybody always comes out to see me in LA all the time.

MSN Chris Heath says:
What do you make of Jonathan Wilkes as a transvestite?

Robbie Williams says:
It's actually very scary, come on in Jon. [Jon sits on the couches] This is Jonathan Wilkes, he's actually my flatmate!

Jonathan Wilkes says:
Flatmate? You can’t call this a Flat!

Robbie Williams says:
He actually lives in my Pop Star Mansion with me He's doing the Rocky Horror Show and he is Frankenfurter and he's amazing in it. He’s ab-so-lutely amazing, go and see him!

Jonathan Wilkes says:
Thank you

Robbie Williams says:
It actually really scared me the first time that I saw him. [To Jon] How tall are you out of your heels? JW Six Foot, 2”. RW He’s Six Two and when he’s doing it he’s about 6’6" in heels and actually he’s my mate and we wear track-suits like for a livin’, we wear track suits (laughter) and then I came to see him on his opening night and he’s got all the get up on him, 6’6”, massive heels, basque, stilletteo and your stockings …actually it’s just like Thursdays and Fridays ‘round here! (laughter) Actually I was a bit intimidated and bit scared. I didn’t want to speak to you or look you in the eye. Did you remember?

Jonathan Wilkes says:
Even when I came home the other night and I was still in a bit of make up you couldn’t talk to me. It was just he was in his mascara when he comes home and it’s like he’s in his basque and suspenders and I’m like 'go and get that off before ye come and play table tennis!' And it took quite a while to get used to it and I'm still not really but I know it’s only for a living and it’s not for real life

Robbie Williams says:
But of course what you must know is all of my celebrity girlfriends and of course Jonathans lovely, lovely finance, they are all beards and we are totally gay.

Jonathan Wilkes says:
Totally Gay

Robbie Williams says:
So we just want to get it clear now, our friends just over there in the kitchen? Beards! Me and ‘im (nods) so just in case you were wondering about the rumours, that’s that quashed. (laughed) Dickheads!

MSN Chris Heath says:
Is every word of that strictly true?

Robbie Williams says:
Totally true. It’s just everybody is so hung up…well not everybody of course but there seems to be a lot of innuendos written about me and Jonathan and some of them actually say that we are straight you know and I just want to clear it up, right now! Me and him ­ dock! Bunch of dickheads

MSN Chris Heath says:
Andri Ford did want to know, but I’m not so sure now, “what is the cheekiest thing you have ever done to impress a girl?”

Robbie Williams says:
I haven't had to do much...recently but I can remember at school…and I’d really like to know what she’s up to these days but she was called Lisa Parks… Lisa Parks ­ they’ll go and find her now I bet ya - I had a massive massive crush on her, and em she was in the year above me she made my “tissle go frew” everytime I saw her so, what I used to do was everytime I saw her I used to just Rap!, cuz rapping was cool “Don’t believe the hype because there’s no sequel cuz as an equal can I get this through to you I’m 98 but with this Trojan, All the…. And then she'd go :o ) She probably though I was an idiot but I had a really big crush on Lisa Parks

MSN Chris Heath says:
But forever unrequited?

Robbie Williams says:
But forever unrequited yeah

Robbie Williams says:
I'm Robbie Williams now and she is the lovely, lovely Lisa Parks.

MSN Chris Heath says:
And we have another question on video VT: Lewis from Nottingham aged 8 video from his bedroom ) Hello Robbie My name is Lewis I was wondering if you had any pets?

Robbie Williams says:
Ahhhhhhhh There’s little people that watch this as well ...and I’ve just done a big spiel about …I’ll apologise on behalf of me you know I really am sorry..is that Lewis? Is his name Lewis?

Robbie Williams says:
Hiya Lewis, you look great man thanks. Is that poster in your bedroom? Thank you Lewis have I got pets? I have loads of fish and I’ve actually got four dogs now and one of them is a German Shepherd called Rudy, one of them is a Labrador/Pit Bull mix called Sammy, another one is a Wolf, and that’s right a wolf called Sid and I’m just about to get a brand new doggie who needs looking after and some love cuz he’s been attacked just recently he's called Duke and he's a bull mastiff and he does nothing apart from come and sit next to you and look at you like this (makes face) That’s all he does Like if you are coming up the drive he just stands in front of the car and stares at it like he doesn’t know that the car would hit him. So I’m gonna be look after him soon. So I’ve got 4 and loads of fish….(Pause) and a trouser snake ­ ask yer dad what that is (laughter)

MSN Chris Heath says:
Julia Holmes, who remembers back when you had a career :o), is concerned to learn whether any horses drank out of the trough in the Feel video while you were in it?

Robbie Williams says:
No horses drank out of the trough while I was in it no. It was all the magic of the camera. It was actually built, it was a pretend trough that was my bath and it was boiling hot, it was far too hot and there was an electric light above it and if that had come in ­ I’d a died! I’d a been electrocuted. They told me that after I’d done the shot!

MSN Chris Heath says:
the risks you take!

Robbie Williams says:
The risks I take

MSN Chris Heath says:
You couldn't ride before that video?

Robbie Williams says:
I couldn't ride before that video. Oh we’ve got 5 mins left and I wanted to carry on I wanted to keep going.

MSN Chris Heath says:
We’ll ignore it

Robbie Williams says:
I had a 1/2 hour lesson riding the night before and another half an hour the day of the shoot and I was a natural and I loved it and the horse was so lovely, it was beautiful and I want to do it a lot again. When I go through my Mull Of Kintyre phase and I live on a farm with a beard.

MSN Chris Heath says:
What is the prefect song? Social zero wants to know?

Robbie Williams says:
“One” by U2

MSN Chris Heath says:
Why?

Robbie Williams says:
It’s perfect for me lyrically…the perfect song touches your emotions and the perfect somebody may not be perfect to somebody else …so I don’t know what the perfect song is, but One by U2 is my favorite song of all time, just cuz nearly everytime it makes me cry and I love the lyrics and I love the heart and I love the soul, I love it. And I love Bono so so very much I want to be him, I really really do and I could go over the top about this now and I probably will …but ‘em yeah ­ U2 One...

MSN Chris Heath says:
Why do you love Bono?

Robbie Williams says:
cuz he's God. In fact God pretends to be Bono on his day off. He really does

MSN Chris Heath says:
Miles would like to know what motivates you to write songs now?

Robbie Williams says:
I'm still really impressed with the fact that I can do it and I'm 5 albums in now. I'm really impressed with myself that I can actually and create these songs that have emotion in them and that people like what I want to do is get to the point of…there’s this mythical album that I’d like to make that I haven’t made that I'm probably about 70% nearly there to really make it but I haven’t quite made it yet. Perhaps I’ve got to be a bit older to do it and know a bit more about meself but I keep writing cuz I keep wanting to do an album as good as Achtung Baby or Nevermind or Whats The Story Morning Glory you know you’re “favourite Albums” . I want to write a big favorite of everybodies.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Rebecca Garner would like to know what makes you really smile?

Robbie Williams says:
A puppies tail waggling, a fish that’s nearly died coming back from the dead. Yeah yeah okay the smile of a little girl as she passes by with her grandmother, licking a lollipop you know simple things, you know, and my anti depressants… it's the truth kids!!!! “Feeling slightly down? Take Ritlin!”

MSN Chris Heath says:
Kinney wonders whether you ever go to the supermarket? Robbie friends No!

Robbie Williams says:
No, but then I never did ever I never did .. ever... Robbie friends You go to the shops though

Robbie Williams says:
Ah I go to the shops yeah and I would actually go to the Supermarket in America. Have been to the supermarket in America. Robbie friends No.

Robbie Williams says:
I've been to the deli that’s close enough isn’t it? I got some horse bones for the dogs... the other day! Robbie friends Woo hoo!

Robbie Williams says:
That was Deli that was close enough! I haven’t lost touch ladies and gentlemen, I was tucking into my Sushimi I was talking about the price of milk 60 pence! I haven’t lost touch. Don’t you hate it when your Sushimi is just slightly off!

MSN Chris Heath says:
and I noticed that the deli you went to had Brian Wilson in it didn't it?

Robbie Williams says:
Yeah the deli that I did go to had Brian Wilson from the beach boys in it and whatshisface from Austin Powers …Mike Myers. So it's wasn’t any ordinary supermarket.

MSN Chris Heath says:
Scarlett Gordon asks: Is there anything left you'd like to do before you are 30?

Robbie Williams says:
I don't know.. I don't know.. I would like to carry on and enjoy life as much as I am right now. This is actually something that I’m doing now that I haven’t done and that’s enjoying myself and enjoying my job…being present and just seeing a fantastic album hopefully being embrased next week, by the general public, and liked you know that’s amazing and I thinking cuz I did the MTV Awards, the other night, that I’m still there, they still ask me back, I’m still a big do, people are still impressed when I turn up and it’s amazing I was very humbled by it, genuinely and you know that’s it..

MSN Chris Heath says:
And finally, Karen Gove would like to you to tell her: from where you are today, what does the rest of the world look like?

Robbie Williams says:
It actually looks like a real scary place, especially you know in big cities that we live in. It scares the bejesus out of me I’ve always been a bit paranoid and I’ve always been a bit scared of the steely stare of the stranger. I dunno man it looks a scary place and I’d hate to, when I have kids, to raise them somewhere that is not as scary :o)

MSN Chris Heath says:
Thank you. And that, I’m afraid, is it. Thank you for all you questions - and all your answers . Escapology is released on Monday 18th, which is tomorrow.

Robbie Williams says:
I'm not gay!!!

Robbie Williams says:
I've got an album out tomorrow called Escapology… it's my best album.. tell your friends about it, and if you’ve liked what I’ve done in the past you’ll love this. Thanks for listening to my inane drivel. Take everything I've said with a pinch of salt and if I've offended anybody during this broadcast, swivel!!!