Yahoo News What Robbie Williams' X Factor role could really mean
When the new line-up of X Factor judges was finally confirmed last week, there was a whole lot of chatter surrounding the names that would eventually become emblazoned on the back of those famous dressing-room chairs.
Our Judges' thrones await them - Ayda Williams @Louis_Tomlinson @robbiewilliams @SimonCowell 🙌🙌🙌 #XFactor #Auditions pic.twitter.com/tSBWuNCuQ0
- The X Factor (@TheXFactor) July 18, 2018
With two of the biggest success stories in recent UK music history taking a seat on the panel, boss man Simon Cowell appears to have really pulled it out of the bag. Despite some hesitations circling Robbie's wife Ayda Field, there's just no getting away from the gravitas of having Louis Tomlinson and Robbie Williams in the mix.
Louis's band One Direction continue to have unrivalled influence, despite having been on hiatus for a number of years. Robbie, on the other hand, has a fanbase that spans both decades and generations.
There are those of us that locked ourselves in the school toilets upon hearing the news of Take That's demise (true story), and those that might've only recently stumbled across his stadium-worthy performances.
But Robbie is so much more than a musician; he's become something of a national treasure. His X Factor casting is a genius move from Cowell, but it could also prove to be the biggest mistake he's ever made with the show...
Robbie Williams has no filter
Whether recalling NSFW sex stories (very rock 'n' roll) or refusing to shy away from his hand sanitiser habits when greeting fans, Robbie doesn't really seem to care what people think about him.
In fact, it was only a few weeks ago that he performed one of the biggest gigs in the world at the World Cup opening ceremony. But, perhaps overshadowing the whole thing, the 'Angels' singer couldn't resist the opportunity to, er, be a little bit rude and flash his middle finger to the camera.
The moment quickly went viral, but he's since explained during an appearance on This Morning that he doesn't actually know why he did it.
"I don't know what I'm going to do at any time," he joked. Are you listening, Cowell?
He's not afraid of a celebrity feud
Just ask the Gallagher brothers...
Having judges lock heads is nothing new for The X Factor – if rumours are to be believed, Dannii Minogue and Sharon Osbourne could barely stand to be in the same room as each other, and Louis Walsh never quite managed to hide his disdain for fan-favourite Cheryl. But we're sure that Simon will want to avoid this particular repeat of history.
Thankfully, Robbie seems to be getting on swimmingly with his fellow judges so far (it probably helps that one of them is his wife), but we'll be watching this one closely – particularly when the live shows start.
He likes to take his kit off
A post shared by Robbie Williams (@robbiewilliams) on Jan 25, 2018 at 8:58am PST
There's the now-infamous 'Rock DJ' music video, which even saw him strip out of his skin. Then, of course, there was the time that he got nakey-nakey-nakey on television in aid of Comic Relief. Mums around the country certainly had that on record.
As one of the judges, we have every reason to believe that he'll be privy to the X Factor wardrobe but, if his past proves anything it's that he can be unpredictable...
Despite everything, his fans stick by him
And through it allllll... There's a reason why many of Robbie's fans have weathered the storm. Whilst he might have been a bit on the cocky side when he spectacularly quit Take That in 1995, it seems he knew what he was doing after all, with all but one of his 11 solo albums reaching number one in the UK.
Simon Cowell has publicly acknowledged the special bond between Robbie and his fans, and we're sure that this played an integral part in his signing of him for the new talent show series.
Even if Robbie does end up bringing some controversy to proceedings, we're sure he'll style it out and take his fans along with him for the ride.
The X Factor returns later this year to ITV.
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