Face of the Day

Robbie Williams has revealed he’s been secretly living with what he described as “inside Tourette’s” and frequently battles “intrusive thoughts”.

The pop star shared the news of his secret battle on the Welch [sic] comedian Paul [Whitehouse] and Dr Mine Conkbayir’s podcast I’m ADHD! No You’re Not.

“I’ve just realised that I have Tourette’s, but they don’t come out,” he said on the podcast. “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 genetic neurological disorder characterised by repetitive, involuntary vocalisations and movements, known as tics. Tics can range from simple motor actions like eye blinking to more complex vocal sounds.

Williams said he has become an “Olympian at masking” his symptoms but admitted that the condition makes it very difficult to perform live.

“I have a very complicated relationship with touring and performing live,” he said. “People say: ‘Oh, you going on tour? You must be really, really excited.’ Not really. I’m terrified.

“I will look full of bravado and look pompous and look smug and do these grand gestures, which have worked for me because they put my face on the poster and people still buy tickets,” Williams added. “But actually what’s happening is I feel like the opposite of that all the time, most of the time.”

NZ Herald