Robbie Williams teases surprise career change after album delay

MUNICH, GERMANY - AUGUST 27: Singer Robbie Williams performs live during his concert One Show & One Night Only concert at Messe Muenchen on August 27, 2022 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Gisela Schober/Getty Images for Bunte)
Robbie Williams has big plans outside of performing (Picture: Gisela Schober/Getty Images for Bunte)

Pop icon Robbie Williams has more than a biopic up his sleeve as he teases next steps in his career after postponing his album.

Britpop was due to drop earlier this month but the Angels singer pushed the release back until February as he didn’t want to clash with Taylor Swift.

Now, he’s thinking he might go into education after noticing ‘nobody else is doing it’.

Robbie, 51, isn’t about to hang up the microphone and head into teacher training; instead, he wants to ‘open a University of Entertainment’.

Details about this university are yet to be firmed up, but it’s his dream to open up a school to teach young performers.

The Sun reported his inspiration was his ‘vaudevillian’ upbringing, as Robbie shared: ‘That’s what I am. I am cabaret.’

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock (15524822r) Robbie Williams Robbie Williams in concert - Long 90's at Dingwalls, Camden, London, UK - 09 Oct 2025
He wants to open a university for entertainment (Picture: Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

He continued: ‘I spent all of my youth watching my dad do cabaret and watching all of the acts that he would bring off and on stage — and how talented and hard-working they were, and how genuinely funny the funny acts were, and how genuinely amazing the vocalists were.’

Last year, the Come Undone singer told the publication he actually wanted to go back to school so he could finish his GCSEs.

Robbie joined Take That at 16 years old as the youngest member of the group, with his schoolwork suffering in his pursuit of fame.

The band — originally featuring Robbie, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, and Jason Orange — shot to fame in the early 90s.

They had a string of hits with covers like It Only Takes a Minute and their own songs (written by Gary), including Relight My Fire, Babe, and Everything Changes.

NETHERLANDS - JANUARY 01: Photo of Robbie WILLIAMS and TAKE THAT; Robbie Williams (Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns)
Robbie joined Take That at just 16 after failing his exams (Picture: Michel Linssen/Redferns)
Take That
They shot to fame before Robbie had even turned 20 (Picture: Tim Roney/Getty Images)

By 21, he was struggling with addiction and left the band amid rising tensions, with his debut solo album coming two years later.

His film Better Man documents his rise to fame as well as his childhood, joking that he never told his mum he failed his exams, until the moment the film premiered.

He previously told The Sun: ‘I’ve been wanting to set up a university but, actually, I wouldn’t be able to attend if and when I do, because I didn’t get any GCSEs. I got nothing higher than a grade D, and everything else I failed or I didn’t turn up for. I really want to go back and get them.’

At the time, Robbie was not diagnosed with dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD, all of which can impact the ability to study without support.

When speaking to the I’m ADHD! No You’re Not podcast earlier this month, he shared: ‘I’m terrified. I mask, like I’m an Olympian at masking.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Robbie Williams performs during the 2022 AFL Grand Final match between the Geelong Cats and the Sydney Swans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 24, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
He has previously shared how he would love to do his GCSEs again (Picture: Cameron Spencer/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

‘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, but actually what’s happening is I feel like the opposite of that all the time, most of the time.’

Despite his other plans, Robbie does have album Britpop on the way in February 2026 after releasing single Rocket earlier this year.

At an intimate event at Dingwalls Camden, he told the crowd: ‘We’re all pretending it’s not about Taylor Swift, but it is. You can’t compete with that.’

‘Here’s the truth: I want 16 Number One albums. Taylor then decided to put her album out the same weekend as me.’

‘I was like, “I’ll put it out the next week”, and they were like, “She does these other deluxe versions”. I was like, “Can I put it out the week after that then?” They were like, “Oasis might be around then”… ‘Let’s do it in February when no one’s got an album out”.’

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

(Visited 2 times, 2 visits today)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *