Robbie Williams is on a diet he's found easy to follow. He calls it his "not eating anything you like" diet.
"No cake, no crisps, no chocolate," he said this week. "Surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. Well, easy when you've got a record coming out and you don't want to look like the Michelin Man."
It's been three years since Williams' last album, Rudebox, was released. At the time, it failed to match the enormous success of the star's previous releases (EMI has refused to provide sales figures for it).
In his downtime, Williams moved to Los Angeles, put on weight, grew a beard, dated the model Ayda Field, told the world about his bipolarity, made a documentary about UFOs, went into rehab to fight an addiction to prescription medication and got a suntan. But now, we are told, his period of rest is officially over. On October 12, he will release the new single Bodies, to be followed by his new album, Reality Killed the Video Star, on November 9. After that, he will tour.
Given that in his career to date Williams has sold 55 million CDs, set records for ticket sales and won more Brit Awards than any artist, this news has been met with rejoicing by an ailing UK music industry.
"A new Robbie Williams album is very welcome," says Paul Williams, the editor of the industry magazine Music Week. "Robbie is one of the most successful artists of the last decade or more."
It's also a little surprising. In January 2008, Williams went "on strike" against his record company, EMI (which is owned by the investor Guy Hands), and refused to produce another album, saying he was being treated unfairly. Now it seems they have patched up their differences. So why did Williams spend so long away and why is he coming back now?
"He was exhausted - emotionally, spiritually, physically," says the songwriter and journalist Adrian Deevoy, who wrote songs with Williams for his 2002 CD Escapology (the album sold seven million copies). "The amount of pressure on him to deliver can be almost too much for a mere human to take. He needed to rest and figure out what was happening in his life outside of the entertainment business.
"Plus, those UFOs aren't going to find themselves."
It's nothing to do with the vast success of the recent Take That comeback, which produced a hit album, Circus, and the fastest selling tour in history? Perhaps Williams, 35, was still feeling competitive with his former band mates?
"I think relations between Take That and Robbie Williams are cordial," Paul Williams says. "I have interviewed Gary Barlow a few times in the last year and he always speaks warmly of him."
"I don't think Robbie needs to compete," Deevoy adds. "I think he wants to make a great record. I was talking to a friend last night and he asked why Robbie was making a comeback now and he seemed surprised by the response: 'It's what he does.'"
Williams worked with his old songwriting partner Guy Chambers as well as the producer Trevor Horn, who famously sang the hit Video Killed the Radio Star referenced on the title of Williams' forthcoming album. According to Deevoy, the choice of producer is inspired.
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
MATCH INFO
England 2
Cahill (3'), Kane (39')
Nigeria 1
Iwobi (47')
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Jurassic%20Park
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Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.