Robbie Williams back in Australia a better man — after eight year absence

BRITISH pop star Robbie Williams arrived in Perth a better man — blaming drugs on his eight-year absence from Australia.

BRITISH pop star Robbie Williams says drugs are the reason he hasn’t returned to Australia since 2006.

Williams arrived in Perth by private jet this morning, ahead of his shows at Perth Arena on Thursday and Friday night.

Sporting his notorious cheeky grin, the 40-year-old father was greeted by a small media pack.

“Hello everybody,” he said. “Still famous how brilliant is this. Thanks for turning up”

Williams gave a frank response when asked why he’s taken eight years to return to Australia.

“Drugs,” he said. “Drugs and other great things I’ve been up to.”

The singer has had a very public battle with drugs and alcohol throughout most of his career.

“I want everybody to fall in love with me again. Please,” he said.

The notorious ladies man said he had fond memories of his last Australian tour.

“I was single then, so I have a lot of very nice memories,” he said.

But don’t get too excited ladies. The former playboy is now married to 35-year-old US actress Ayda Field, who is only five weeks away from giving birth to the couple’s second child.

“She’s about to drop the second baby,” he said.

They are already parents to an 18-month-old girl named Teddy.

Williams said he is looking forward to entertaining his fans and catching up on some sleep while he is in Australia.

“It seems as though I’ve been in the air since 1987,” he said.

He said he would be performing a “jazz handsy kind of show”.

“They call it the end of the pier kind of stuff in England,” he said.

Williams said he hopes Australians are receptive to his show.

“I don’t want to get up there and say get your jazz hands out and then everybody says ‘no I’m not getting my jazz hands out’,” he said.

Williams has sold more than 77 million albums worldwide and is said to be worth around $AUD180million

He kicks of his Australian tour in Perth, before heading to Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Originally published as Robbie Williams back in Australia a better man — after eight year absence