Robbie Williams tackles drug use allegations made by former Take That manager in new BBC documentary

Robbie Williams has sent an open letter to former Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith following claims he made about Williams' past drug use in a new BBC documentary. Boybands Forever.

Both the British pop icon and Martin-Smith appeared as interviewees in the first part of the three-part series, which aired on Saturday (November 16). The episode focused on the mental and financial struggles members of Take That, East 17, A1 and Damage faced at the height of their popularity.

Martin-Smith managed Take That in the 1990s when Williams was a member of the group, before the latter quit in 1995 and went on to embark on a sustained, successful solo career. Over three decades, he won 13 No. 1 in UK Albums Chart and 18 BRIT Awards, including the prestigious BRITs Icon Award in 2017.

In the documentary, Williams addresses his history of drug use, saying at one point he was told he was “bad”. Martin-Smith goes on to say that the singer was “smart and smart enough” to blame his problems on being “in this band where he couldn't have girlfriends or he couldn't go out”.

Williams also responded to these allegations through a lengthy statement posted on Instagram on November 17. “I was equally terrified and excited to share a screen with you again,” he said, addressing Martin-Smith. “Excited to see where we are both on this journey and terrified in case old feelings were brought up and I was still in a place of anger, hurt by fear.

“As it happens, time seems to have done its thing and I guess the wisdom it brings has taken its mop to a few nooks and crannies here and there. I suppose, however, that not every corner has been bleached.”

He then highlighted Martin-Smith's comments about his drug use at the time. “My response to the distorted world around me is entirely mine. How I chose to self-medicate is and has been something I will watch and deal with for the rest of my life,” Williams wrote. “It's part of my makeup and I'd have the same disease if I was a taxi driver. I just got there faster because I had the finances while trying in vain to deal with the turbulence of the pop star washing machine.'

Encouraging Martin-Smith to take responsibility for some of the struggles Take That faced behind the scenes, Williams continued: “Everyone will understand and appreciate that level of self-reflection. It's okay to admit your flaws. No one is going to sue you because you don't know or don't understand[ing] the psychological effects it all had on everyone.”

Martin-Smith has yet to respond to Williams' open letter.

Williams' comments follow similar post did for the late Liam Payne, saying that boy bands need adequate emotional support and that there should be a push to do something in his name to make things better. The One Direction star died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16.

Shortly after Paine's death, a reference started by calling for a new law to ensure the mental well-being of young artists. It currently has over 149,000 signatures.

Elsewhere, Williams biopic compilation soundtrack Best Man will be released on December 26th in the UK and Ireland and January 17th in the US and Canada. With his greatest hits, Best Man will tell the story of Williams' life from his childhood in Stoke-on-Trent, England, to his rise to fame with Take That and subsequent solo career. Williams will play a CGI monkey throughout the film directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman).

Until the summer of 2025, Williams will embark on a lengthy tour of the UK and Europe, including a night at London's 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium. There will be support from Warrington rock band The Lottery Winners, as well as Rag 'N' Bone Man on selected dates.