‘Out of control’: Robbie Williams lays bare wild drugs and alcohol past in new Netflix documentary

Singer Robbie Williams has revealed he was so reliant on alcohol at the height of his fame, he was downing a bottle of vodka every night.

Robbie Williams has revealed he once became so reliant on alcohol at the height of his fame, he was downing a bottle of vodka every night and doing all the drugs he could “ingest”.

In his new Netflix documentary Robbie Williams: Raw. Honest. Real, the singer reflected on his addiction during his time with the British boy band Take That, saying his life “life had spiralled out of control so severely” that his manager forced him into rehab.

“I was ingesting everything I could get my hands on – ecstasy, cocaine, drinking. I’m literally drinking like a bottle of vodka a night before going into rehearsals, so that’s happening every night,” the singer said in the doco.

Robbie Williams reflects on his wild past in the new four-part documentary airing on Netflix. Picture: Netflix

“We are looking at somebody in freefall, addicted to cocaine and alcohol. It’s impossible to help myself, it’s impossible to stop.”

Williams – who eventually left the boy group in 1995 – said he was constantly “hungover” because there wasn’t a “chance to feel anything other” than hungover as he couldn’t break the cycle.

“Everybody knew I was in trouble, but they didn’t care, I’d gone past the point of no return,” he said. “My life had spiralled out of control so severely that my manager understood what needed to happen, I needed to be carted off to rehab.”

Williams said he downed one bottle of vodka every night before rehearsals. Picture: Netflix

“I used to drink and do drugs because it helped me not feel this way, when you strip that away all the everything comes up that you’ve been suppressing and I’ve been suppressing that for years. I’m depressed and I’m mentally ill.”

When the singer was diagnosed with depression in his early twenties, he said many wondered what “there was to be upset about” when “good things” were happening to him and he was successful.

However, Williams said he simply struggled to cope with his fame and life in the spotlight.

Williams credits wife Ayda Field for keeping him focused. Picture: StillMoving.Net for Netflix

“I had to go on stage in front of thousands of people feeling like you’re on the hundredth floor, the room’s burning and you either stay in the room or burn to death or you jump out of the window to your death. It’s that uncomfortable,” he said.

Take That in 1991 (from left to right): Robbie Williams, Jason Orange, Mark Owen, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald. Picture: Michael Putland/Getty Images

Williams said he felt “jealous” of bandmate Gary Barlow. Picture: Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Elsewhere in the doco, Williams recalled the strained relationship he had with fellow Take That bandmate Gary Barlow, who he felt “vengeful” and “jealous” towards.

“I disliked Gary the most because he was the one that was supposed to have everything and the career and I wanted to make him pay. I was vengeful,” Williams admitted.

“It seemed to be one person managing Take That and it was Gary Barlow – it was all geared around him. And as a young person I would have been jealous of that. A lot of me resented him. I was going home from those days thinking this is weird and uncomfortable. It’s Lord of the Flies stuff.”

Williams said he has since apologised to Barlow for how he treated him during their time in the band.

Originally published as ‘Out of control’: Robbie Williams lays bare wild drugs and alcohol past in new Netflix documentary