ROBBIE WILLIAMS JOKES ABOUT VIRAL WORLD CUP MICROPHONE MOMENT

Robbie Williams addressed speculation about a white object that fell onto his microphone during a World Cup television interview on German broadcaster MagentaTV on 19 July. The incident occurred shortly after Williams performed at the tournament's closing ceremony at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During the live post-match coverage, a small white object appeared to fall from his mouth and land on the microphone, which he picked up before inadvertently leaving it stuck to his forehead. Social media users subsequently claimed the object had fallen from his nose and was cocaine.

Williams responded to the speculation in an Instagram video posted on 20 July, lying in bed and adopting a solemn tone as he acknowledged the object. He joked: "It was deeply unprofessional and people worried about me. But it's OK, because I had several more!" He then revealed two circular mints on his tongue before laughing. The post was captioned: "Just woke up and feeling…. Mint."

Williams has spoken candidly about his past struggles with alcohol and drugs throughout his career. In an interview with a Spanish publication earlier in July, he stated that he had not drunk alcohol in 25 years. In 2020, he called for the UK to reduce consumption of alcohol and drugs, saying the country had been "delusional" for too long about their adverse effects.