Music icon Robbie Williams has given a candid and emotional insight into the pressures facing his teenage daughter, who is desperate to follow him into the world of fame.
The 2am Text Message That Revealed Everything
Speaking to Scott Mills on BBC Radio 2 this Friday, the 51-year-old former Take That star revealed a poignant text exchange with his 13-year-old daughter, Teddy. The message, sent in the early hours of a Thursday morning, laid bare her deepest anxieties about her future career.
"Dad, what if I'm not a singer? It's my biggest fear not to be a singer," Robbie recounted, reading from the text sent at 2:06am. "What if I'm nothing?" He noted the message was written in capital letters for emphasis, highlighting the intensity of her fear.
Robbie, who shares Teddy and three younger children with his wife, actress Ayda Field, responded with a dose of humorous reality. "And I was like, 'babe, you're a nepo. You'll be fine,'" he joked during the interview.
A Father's Protective Worries
While supportive of her ambitions, Williams expressed significant concern, not about her opportunities, but about her emotional resilience. He described Teddy as "incredibly sensitive" and even "worse than me" in that regard, admitting he is often deemed "oversensitive."
"The only thing that worries me about it is, she's incredibly sensitive," he told Mills. "I'm worried about what words will do to her... I'm just worried about words, and mean people."
He contrasted their different paths, noting that for him, stardom was an alternative to "stacking shelves at ASDA," whereas Teddy has numerous options. He affirmed he can steer her professionally but remains anxious about the collateral damage of public life.
Stepping Into the Spotlight
Teddy Williams is already beginning her journey in the entertainment industry. She recently appeared in the Christmas film Tinsel Town, starring Rebel Wilson and Kiefer Sutherland.
This marks a shift for the family, who have historically shielded their children from public view. A source told The Sun that Robbie and Ayda had previously obscured her face on social media. "This is all very much being driven by Teddy, who's wanted to be on stage since she was old enough to talk!" the source said.
Despite his worries, Robbie Williams concluded on a positive note, acknowledging the privileges of a creative life. "It's a wonderful, wonderful life and a wonderful, wonderful job and you get to be creative for a living, and I'm very grateful and incredibly lucky," he said.
The couple, married in 2010, are also parents to Charlie, 10, Coco, seven, and five-year-old Beau.
