Robbie Williams: Singer reveals he thinks he has Tourette’s Syndrome on podcast
Robbie Williams has revealed that he believes he has Tourette’s Syndrome.
The UK singer revealed on the I’m ADHD, No You’re Not podcast with Dr Mine Conkbayir MBE & Paul Whitehouse that he believes his intrusive thoughts are tics.
“I’ve just realised that I have Tourette’s, but they don’t come out,” Williams said on the podcast.
“They are intrusive thoughts that happen. I was just walking down the road the other day and I realised that these intrusive thoughts are inside Tourette’s.”
Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder characterised by sudden, involuntary, and repetitive movements (motor tics) and/or sounds (vocal tics), according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Tics can range in severity and are categorised as simple or complex. Tics can be mild and unnoticeable or severe and disabling to the point of interfering with daily life and speech.
The singer said he also can’t take in the positivity his fans give him during his shows.
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“Not only that, you would think that a stadium full of people professing their love to you would work [as a distraction], but whatever it is, inside me, cannot hear it. I cannot take it in.”
He also shared that he thinks he had autism, but an online test told him otherwise.
”It turns out I’m not [autistic], but I’ve got autistic traits. And it’s around, social stuff, it’s about interaction,” he said.
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When host Conkbayir pressed Williams on why he was so adamant that he is autistic, he said it was about “understanding of why I feel so uncomfortable in my skin”.
“When I’m in bed, that’s my comfort zone. Anywhere outside of that bed is my discomfort zone,” Williams said.
“It’s getting better. It was awful, horrendous through my 20s, bad through my 30s, my 40s started to get better and I’m on an upward curve, but I’m still uncomfortable in my skin.”
“Much like I have sought out medication to fix it, I’m constantly still looking for the reason and the whys.”
The American Psychiatric Association defines Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterised by persistent differences in social communication and interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, or activities.
He also told the podcast that he “will look full of bravado and look pompous and look smug and do these grand gestures… But actually, I feel like the opposite of that.”
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Williams has previously opened up about his struggles with mental health.
In an interview with The Mirror earlier this year, the British pop star spoke about his battle after first being diagnosed with depression in his 20s.
He admitted he felt “sad” after a series of setbacks and devastating family news, and “confused” as he hadn’t felt depressed in a “very long time”.
Angels hitmaker admitted he felt “sad” after a series of setbacks and devastating family news, and “confused” as he hadn’t felt depressed in a “very long time”.
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