Robbie Williams and Nicole Appleton's 'whirlwind' relationship and why he describes her as 'an angel'

Celebrated singer-songwriter Robbie Williams has fondly spoken of his former flame Nicole Appleton, referring to her as "a complete angel" while reflecting on their on-off relationship from the 1990s. Now 50, Robbie delves into his personal history in the semi-autobiographical film Better Man, which debuted this week.

The film is rumoured to feature nods to his old love interest, All Saints band member Nicole, who is currently 49. Their paths crossed back in 1997 during a Top of the Pops appearance.

It wasn't long before the two sparked a romance that reportedly continued for around nine months, but faced several splits. Amidst what was dubbed a 'whirlwind' romance Robbie popped the question, but their connection dissolved in 1999, after Nicole underwent an abortion.

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Their shared past came to light when Nicole disclosed details about the pregnancy in her 2002 autobiography 'Together,' penned alongside her sister Natalie Appleton. She revealed that a record company had influenced her decision to have an abortion and quoted a poignant moment with Robbie: "[Robbie] put his hand on my belly and told me 'this baby is saving my life'. After having my abortion I was in shock. I couldn't believe what I had done."

While Robbie has previously reflected on this chapter of his life, he now admits that revisiting these events for the film constituted the "most difficult" part of the experience, reports the Mirror. In the semi-biographical film, Better Man, Robbe is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee.

The film is directed by Michael Gracey - famed for his work on The Greatest Showman - who appeared alongside the star on The One Show sofa on Tuesday evening, November 26. The former Take That member appeared on the BBC show to discuss his upcoming film, but things turned emotional as he recalled a painful memory.

While the interview was mostly light-hearted, it was one viewer's question that prompted deep reflection and emotion from the singer. Co-host Lauren Laverne asked the star on fan Jenny's behalf: "Do you have a favourite part of the film and how emotional was it watching it?". Letting out a deep sigh, Robbie opened up about one moment he said caused him "shame" and that he struggled to watch play out on the big screen. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.

"I think the bits with Nicky Appleton were the most difficult bits because everybody else in the movie was villain-esque in my life in some way or another and she's the only person that didn't do me any harm," he began. "So when I watch that, I feel a sense of shame that I was her idiot boyfriend at the time. She didn't deserve that, she's a good person."

According to reports, Nicole was not only consulted on script but also invited to a preliminary viewing. The former Take That star opened up about his past relationship with Nicole in a candid interview, saying: "The most difficult bit is watching Nicole and what we went through, because she was instructed to get rid of our baby."

Reflecting on their time together, he admitted: "I didn't make her do that - but I was a f***ing awful boyfriend, like, really awful, and I was in the height of my addiction and alcoholism. And it breaks my heart every time I watch it, because she's a complete angel, and there is still shame attached to who I was then."

Robbie also shared that after Nicole attended a screening of his biopic Better Man they had an emotional video call where they "both wept", adding how he was looking forward to "giving her a hug" at the film's premiere.

Nicole has since found happiness with Stephen Haines, with whom she has a daughter, following her high-profile relationship with Oasis's Liam Gallagher, who is father to her son Gene Gallagher, 23. Robbie, meanwhile, has been happily married to television personality Ayda Field since 2010, and they share four children. The couple also served as judges on the X Factor in 2018.