Robbie Williams shares debilitating 'Inside Tourette Syndrome' symptoms - here's what the condition entails
It's been yonks since Robbie Williams first skyrocketed to stardom, and in that time, he's refused to shy away from discussing struggles with both his physical and mental health.
The 52-year-old has spoken openly about addiction, anxiety, depression, body image and ADHD. Now, after revealing that he has also been diagnosed with autism - which he claimed 'explains so much' - attention has once again turned to the way Williams experiences the world.
This includes what he previously described as his battle with 'inside Tourette's'.
Though the phrase is not a medical diagnosis, Williams uses it to describe something he says happens internally: intrusive thoughts and urges that he experiences as being similar to Tourette's tics, without necessarily producing the movements or sounds many people associate with the condition.
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So, what exactly does he mean by 'inside Tourette's', and how does his description differ from the Tourette syndrome recognised in the medical field?
Who is Robbie Williams?
If you're reading this from outside of the UK, you may not be as clued up about the legend that is Robbie Williams as we Brits.
He first became famous as a member of the 90s boyband Take That - alongside Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald - before embarking on a very successful solo career.
Sure, he dipped back in and out of the band in the years that followed, but he was just as recognised in his own right in the 2000s.
A number of his biggest hits- Angels, Rock DJ, Let Me Entertain You, Feel and Millennium - remain karaoke favourites for many to this day, and fans still love his famously energetic live shows.
But alongside his showbiz career, Williams has become known for his willingness to discuss his health and mental health struggles.
Reflecting on his latest autism diagnosis during a Q&A for his clothing brand Hopeium, Williams said: "I have ADHD and I just found out I have a bit of autism as well, which I actually f*****g love because it explains so much.
"It is my get-out-of-jail-free card now, and all the weird s**t that I do I just say, 'Sorry, I'm autistic'."
The revelation comes less than a year after he spoke publicly about another neurological experience he had come to describe as 'inside Tourette's'.
His 'inside Tourette's' battle explained
In October 2025, Williams appeared on the I’m ADHD! No You’re Not podcast and described what he believed was a form of Tourette's that manifested internally, rather than through tics.
"I've just realised that I have Tourette's, but they don't come out," he said at the time. "They are intrusive thoughts that happen. I was just walking down the road the other day, and I realised that these intrusive thoughts are part of Tourette's.
"It just doesn't come out."
Williams added that the experience could make performing particularly difficult, despite the confident persona he presents to concert attendees.
"I have a very complicated relationship with touring and performing live," he explained. "People say, 'Oh, you going on tour? You must be really, really excited'. Not really. I'm terrified."
The singer went on to describe himself as an 'Olympian at masking' his symptoms, before insisting his symptoms have eased up with age.
"It's getting better," Williams claimed. "I would say it's gotten better from 45 onwards."
How is it different from 'normal' Tourette's?
As we mentioned earlier, it's important to clarify that 'inside Tourette's' is not a recognised medical term for a variation of Tourette's syndrome.
It sounds as though he is using the phrase to describe his personal experience with involuntary and uncontrollable thoughts.
According to the NHS, Tourette syndrome is slightly different, with the condition's main symptoms being repetitive movements or sounds that a person does not choose to make and cannot fully control, known as 'tics'.
Motor tics can include blinking, facial movements, jerking or touching objects, while vocal tics can include sniffing, throat-clearing, sounds or repeating words and phrases, sometimes expletives.
For a diagnosis of Tourette syndrome, a person generally needs to have both motor and vocal tics that have persisted for more than a year.
Topics: Robbie Williams, Celebrity, UK News, Mental Health, Health
Rhianna Benson