Robbie Williams says giving children phones is 'abuse' as he reveals strict rules

Popstar Robbie Williams has described parents giving children phones as 'abuse'. The dad of four said that he will never give his children phones, describing them as a “drug”.

Speaking to ITV News he said: “They don’t have phones. They’re not going to have phones for as long as humanly possible. And you know they’re gonna go, they are at school, other people have phones, why can’t I have a phone? Tough.

“That’s as simple as it is. I’m 51, I can’t deal with the corrosive nature of the internet and things. It hurts me. It ruins my day.

“How can I give this drug to a 12-year-old? How can I give this drug to a seven-year-old? It’s abuse.”

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Robbie and his wife Ayda Field have four children: Theodora "Teddy" Rose, Charlton "Charlie" Valentine, Colette "Coco" Josephine, and Beau Benedict Enthoven. The singer likes to keep his children out of the spotlight but daughter Teddy was seen by the public when she was bridesmaid at family friend Princess Eugenie's wedding in 2018.

As he prepares to release his new album, Robbie said he would open for Oasis despite a longstanding feud between the musicians.

The rivalry allegedly began more than two decades ago, which saw the 90s Britpop stars, Liam and Noel Gallagher from Oasis and Williams, exchange insults at each other, including a challenge made by the Rock DJ singer at the 2000 Brit Awards Ceremony to fight Liam.

The feud, however, appears to have subsided with Williams saying that despite not being friends, they are not “enemies”.

Speaking to ITV News, Williams said: “I would open for Oasis. In this moment that they’re having right now, they are omnipresent and they are the peak Zeitgeist.

“I can’t compete with that. So I would, I would open for Oasis. We’re not exactly friends, but I don’t think we’re enemies," he added.

The comments come as Oasis are preparing to set off for their North American leg of their Oasis Live ’25 world tour.

Prior to launching his solo career, Williams was part of the boyband Take That which was behind the hit songs Pray, Everything Changes and Sure.

He left the group in 1995 and released his chart-topping debut album Life Thru A Lens in 1997.

Other number one albums by the singer include I’ve Been Expecting You (1998), Sing When You’re Winning (2000), Escapology (2002), Intensive Care (2005) and Rudebox (2006).

The singer set off for his Britpop tour in May in support of his upcoming album with the same name, which is due to be released on October 10.