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Robbie Williams 'almost died' from mercury poisoning over seafood habit

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 12: Robbie Williams attends a media call on March 12, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Sam Tabone/WireImage)
Robbie Williams (WireImage)

Robbie Williams has shared a fishy tale about his brush with death caused by a seafood diet.

The Angels singer, 46, said that he’d been diagnosed with mercury poisoning thanks to a regime that had him eating fish and seafood twice a day.

Williams had thought he was looking after his health, but the toxin reached dangerous levels in his body, leaving him at risk of dying – although he admitted the news gave him a strange sort of ego boost.

He told Radio X: “I’ve got the highest mercury poisoning the doctor has ever seen.

Watch: See Robbie Williams transform into Boris Johnson for his new Christmas single

“Do you know what I thought when I heard that? ‘I’ve won!’ That’s how my ego works, ‘I’ve got the highest…did you say the highest? Thank you.’”

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“I literally won the mercury award,” he joked.

Williams said he had gone for the test on the advice of his wife, Ayda Field, saying she was “neurotic” about getting lots of health tests.

He added: “Anyway, thank God, because I could’ve dropped dead of mercury and arsenic poisoning.”

Photo by: GOTPAP/STAR MAX/IPx 2018 9/14/18 Robbie Williams and Ayda Field are seen outside Catch Seafood Restaurant in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA.
Robbie Williams and Ayda Field are seen outside Catch Seafood Restaurant in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA. (GOTPAP/STAR MAX/IPx 2018 9/14/18)

Former Take That star Williams has been vegan since 2017 and admitted that the mercury poisoning had been part of what made him change his diet, saying that he went plant-based “the next day”.

Williams recently debuted the video for his festive song Can’t Stop Christmas which features him dressed as Boris Johnson and giving a press conference.

The music video makes reference to the coronavirus pandemic and also includes lookalikes of Sir Patrick Vallance, Chris Whitty, and Theresa May.

Singer Robbie Williams performs during the charity gala "Ein Herz fuer Kinder" (a heart for children) in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
Singer Robbie Williams performs during the charity gala "Ein Herz fuer Kinder" (a heart for children) in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)

However, superstar Williams has also said that he thinks his days of topping the singles charts are over and is now concentrating on hitting the top spot in the album charts instead.

He told Smooth Radio: "I’m an albums kind of person now, which is wonderful. But I don’t even look at the charts now. And I wouldn’t even think that I would get anywhere near up there.

“But if I did, it would be a Christmas miracle and I’d be very grateful."

Watch: Robbie Williams wants Gemma Collins to top Christmas charts