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Robbie Williams' follies of youth


Robbie Williams got rid of his "follies of youth" when he got married.
The 'Let Me Entertain You' hitmaker had a "load of fun" in his younger years but when his wife came into his life, he knew he wanted to "share" his world with her.
He said: "I experienced all that and it was a load of fun. And then my wife came into my life and genuinely, if I can be serious for a moment, I fell in love with my Mrs and wanted to share my world with her and share her world with me. And the time just came where it was time to get rid of the follies of youth."
And the 46-year-old singer opened up about his education, admitting his "outside smarts" of being "quite eloquent, good at talking and picking up on social cues" meant he "fluked" his way to the top.
He added: "Well from primary school I think I fluked my way into the top stream academically but they quickly found out that's not where I'm meant to be so they moved me to the medium stream and then I fluked medium for the rest of my school life. But I should have been in the remedial class, that's where I should have been. I think it's because of my outside smarts - quite eloquent, a bit verbose, good at talking, looking teachers in the eye, picking up on social cues.
"I think that fooled them where really I can't add, I can't subtract, I can't spell. Academically it was not for me, I wasn't meant to do it, I was never ever going to excel in that world. My computer doesn't compute that way.'"
And Robbie believes people are unnecessarily branded "stupid and thick and slow and remedial" if they don't confirm to society's standards.
Speaking on Ayda Williams' Postcards from the Edge podcast, he added: "Academically we are set up to think and behave in one way. And if you don't fit that system, you are stupid and thick and slow and remedial.
"And I think that's what went into my computer as well if I get a spelling thing wrong or can't add up. We [Ayda and Robbie] banter back and forth about really touchy subjects and go further on stuff than most couples I know, but if she says anything where I'm being thick and she brings it up, it hurts for some reason."