Robbie Williams addresses concern after 'white substance falls from face' on TV
'Deeply unprofessional' is how Robbie Williams has described a headline-hitting World Cup blunder, which saw a 'white substance' seemingly fall from his face onto his microphone on live TV.
The singer made an appearance from New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Sunday (19 July) on the German TV channel Magenta Sport ahead of Spain's 1-0 victory against Argentina in the nail-biting final.
Before the ceremony kicked off, Williams, 52 - wearing a bedazzled blue tracksuit - performed a musical number along with fellow hit-makers Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini.
Asked about his performance by a German pundit afterwards, viewers were shocked to see what appeared to be a white blob drop from the Take That alum's face, immediately sparking drug use speculation.
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Spectators quickly pointed out, however, that the item seemed to fall from Williams' mouth, not his nose, pouring cold water on these controversial allegations.
"Slowed it right down. It came from his mouth," one X user claimed.
Whatever it was, it dropped onto Williams' microphone, after which he quickly reacted by flicking it away. He then rubbed his forehead, where the item stuck for several seconds.
In the aftermath, another social media user teased: "Poor Robbie Williams. Had a stinker on live German TV."
After observing several discussions online about the incident, the 'Let Me Entertain You' star took to Instagram on Monday (20 July), where he shared a video of himself from bed, offering up an explanation.
He began: "I’d just like to apologise for the object that fell onto the microphone yesterday.
"I was deeply unprofessional, and people worried about me. But it’s OK. Because I had several more."
Williams then stuck his tongue out, revealing two small white mints sitting on his tongue.
He then burst out laughing, suddenly cutting the video there.
The post was captioned: "Just woke up and feeling…. Mint x."
The British star has since been hailed as a 'legend'.
"Brilliant bloody love you!" one follower wrote in the comments.
Another gushed: "Knew you’d have a brill comeback for this."
Someone else added: "Made my day."
Elsewhere during the World Cup final, many football fans weren't convinced by the star-studded halftime show, with some critics arguing the addition was another sign that the tournament was becoming increasingly commercialised.
The likes of Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, The Muppets, and Shakira all took to the stage for a performance of a lifetime, though it broke FIFA's own promise.
World Cup final halftime show artists ranked by their net worth
FIFA has put on an absolutely packed halftime show, with Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber and BTS co-headlining.
But onto the most important question: whose bank account is the healthiest…?
Here they are, ranked from very rich to very, very, very rich.
Gustavo Dudamel - $10 million
One of the lesser-known faces in the halftime show, Dudamel is a conductor and violinist who is leaving the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the New York Philharmonic in September.
Long story short, he’s not the kind of guy you’d expect to perform alongside Shakira and Justin Bieber.
According to Sportskeeda, he’s worth $10 million.
Burna Boy - $22 million
The Afrobeats artist has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Dave and Shakira on hit songs, the latter being the 2026 World Cup anthem ‘Dai Dai’.
He’s worth a cool $22 million, according to Love Money.
BTS - $150 million to $350 million collectively
Recently back from a hiatus after completing compulsory military service, the K-pop group’s inclusion in the halftime show is sure to delight many.
Of the seven members, V is said to be the wealthiest, worth between $38 million and 40 million according to the Economic Times.
Collectively, they’re worth between $150 million and $350 million.
Justin Bieber - $200 million
Bieber made a generational comeback earlier this year at Coachella, marking his biggest live show in four years - and it certainly got everyone talking.
Is the World Cup ready for his laptop and YouTube Premium account?
He’s worth $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which happens to be the sum he sold his music back catalogue for back in 2023.
Shakira - $350 million
Her hips don’t lie, and neither do her paycheques. Shakira is the most successful Colombian artist in history, shifting over 100 million records worldwide.
Alongside Burna Boy, she’s responsible for the 2026 World Cup song ‘Dai Dai’, and who could forget 2010’s ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’ for the South Africa World Cup.
She’s said to be worth $350 million, according to Marca.
Madonna - $850 million
Madonna is one of the wealthiest female musicians in history, with her latest album Confessions II dropping this month and naturally debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
With hits including ‘Like a Prayer’, ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ and ‘Like a Virgin’, it’s no surprise she’s absolutely rolling in it - she’s worth $850 million, according to Forbes.
Topics: Robbie Williams, Celebrity, UK News, World Cup, Entertainment
Rhianna Benson