Robbie Williams’ daughter says he’s ‘clout chasing’ in Olivia Rodrigo Christmas song drama
Robbie Williams has issued a hilarious response to the ongoing Olivia Rodrigo Christmas song debacle, with his teenage daughter severely humbling him.
The 52-year-old British pop star has found himself at the centre of drama after listeners claimed her new Christmas song, ‘take me home (4 christmas),’ sounds similar to Williams huge hit, ‘Candy’.
After everyone started playing the songs alongside each other and pointing out the comparisons, the former Take That member decided to weigh in on the situation by dropping a cheekily cryptic social media post.
Williams took to X on Saturday (7 November) to simply write: "Happy Christmas @oliviarodrigo x.”
Advert
Turning into internet detectives, fans couldn’t work out whether this was a genuine call-out, a joke, or a defence of Rodrigo.
So now, Williams has been forced to issue a longer message on Instagram, jokingly revealing that his daughter Teddy, 14, has since accused him of ‘clout chasing’.
On Wednesday (11 November), he explained that he FaceTimed the teen to tell her that ‘the internet is saying that part of Olivia Rodrigo's new song sounds like one of Daddy's’.
However, she ‘immediately picked up another device and started tapping away’ and then, while ‘visibly distressed,’ asked: "Daddy, why are you beefing with Olivia Rodrigo?"
He wrote: “The penny drops. Teddy has Googled her father, gone straight to the news section, and discovered a collection of headlines about a tweet I'd mischievously put out the day before.
“Let me explain. My management had told me there was some chatter online about similarities between one of my songs and one of Olivia's.
“So I suggested a post: “Happy Christmas @OliviaRodrigo.’ That was it. No accusation. No grievance. No declaration of war. Just a little bit of s***housery. Some gentle mischief to stoke a bit of online debate.
“Light the fire, walk away, and imagine it burning somewhere in a parallel universe that I don't actually have to inhabit.”
He joked: “ Unfortunately, my daughter does inhabit that universe. And she's now looking at me as though I've started an international incident. I explain to Teddy that it's all a misunderstanding.
“There's no beef. There has never been any beef. In fact, I'm writing a lovely Instagram post about Olivia that will go up tomorrow. Something genuinely complimentary and supportive. Teddy doesn't seem reassured.”
He told her: "Honestly, sweetheart. It's fine. Tomorrow everyone will see that I'm being lovely about her. Just trust me, sweetheart. I'm writing something really nice. It'll all make sense tomorrow."
Then, Williams recalled: “She goes quiet. For the first time in the conversation, I think I've got through to her. There's a pause. Then her face changes. The concern disappears. Something has clicked…”
"Ahhhhh. I know what you're doing, Daddy,” she told him, adding: “And Olivia will know what you’re doing too.”
Williams asked, “What am I doing, darling?” to which Teddy responded: “Clout chasing.”
The singer penned: “I’m sorry. CLOUT CHASING? My own daughter, my firstborn. The child I have loved, nurtured, clothed, fed, and spent fourteen years trying to impress has just accused me of CLOUT CHASING.
“Not being mischievous, not having a laugh. Not indulging in a little harmless popstar s***housery. CLOUT CHASING. Which, unless I’m mistaken, suggests that Olivia Rodrigo has clout. And I am in need of some.”
He hilariously continued: “That I have somehow fallen so far down the cultural food chain that I must now attach myself to a younger, more successful artist, in the hopes that a few crumbs of relevance might fall from her table.
“I wasn’t aware that was where we are. I thought we were colleagues. Apparently, we’re now in a completely different industry. Olivia Rodrigo makes music. I chase Olivia Rodrigo. Anyway, the lovely Instagram post went up, exactly as promised. It was warm, generous, and sincere.
“And judging by my daughter’s assessment of my current standing in the music industry, probably the most successful piece of clout chasing I’ve done in years.”
He signed off with: “Just for the record, Teddy, I’m about to play to 50,000 people in a stadium in Melbourne. I appreciate this means absolutely nothing to you. Love you, Dad.”
Rushing to the comments, fans quipped: “ahhh teenage daughters. How they humble their parents so” and “well done Teddy doing the Lord's work and keeping you grounded and humble RW!”
Tyla has contacted a rep for Olivia Rodrigo for comment.
Topics: Robbie Williams, Social Media, Entertainment, Celebrity, Music
Madison Burgess
