Cruel taunts about his weight leave Robbie Williams devastated.
The 44-year-old singer and his wife Ayda Field have joined ‘The X Factor’ as judges this year but Ayda admitted she is worried that the show will have a negative impact on Robbie as he has an "unhealthy compulsion" to seek out mean comments about himself online.
Speaking to the Mail On Sunday, Ayda said: "Robbie comes across as arrogant and cocky, but inside he’s a little mushy mensch and he has very soft feelings and a wounded heart. When people write bad things about him it hurts. I try to teach Rob to stay away from it – sometimes I have more success than others.
"I put him on a computer ban but then he falls off the wagon, he goes down the hole and then I have to pick up those pieces. I will definitely ban Rob from social media during the show. He’ll read some nasty comments and then I have to pick him up, dust him off and remind him he’s an incredible human being.
"That’s the funny thing – artists and us creative individuals might appear tough but we’re actually humans with feelings."
Meanwhile, Robbie recently admitted that he vomited after being criticised on ‘The X Factor’.
He and Ayda, 37, have joined the panel alongside Simon Cowell and Louis Tomlinson, but Robbie admitted he had a rocky start when he tried to act as Mr Nasty.
He said: "I tried to do the mean judge thing. I said something I thought would be funny, but instead everyone went ‘Oooohhh’."
Ayda added: "I said to him, ‘Robert Peter Williams. Where did that come from? You’re not that person!’"
And Robbie went on: "Then the make-up artist said, ‘Why did you say that?’ And I got so panicked I went upstairs and threw up.
"It’s a big risk, putting yourself on mainstream television every week. For somebody who can put his foot in it – unintentionally – it’s a very scary prospect.
"But fun at the same time. It’s like walking the tightrope, though there’s the fear I’m going to do something that will cause an international incident.
"It’s really important people either really love it and us – or they obsessively hate us. And I want the obsessive haters to watch too."
Cruel weight jibes leave Robbie William devastated
