Robbie Williams makes his wife call him "the national treasure".
The ‘Angels’ singer met American actress Ayda Field on a blind date 10 years ago and she had no idea who he was but is now more than aware of his fame, and as a result he has created a nickname for himself for her to use.
She said: "I didn’t really know ‘Angels’ or the whole Robbie thing. Now, obviously, I do. He makes me call him ‘the national treasure’ when we’re at home."
The couple – who have children Teddy, three, and Charlton, 17 months, together – admit their first date didn’t go too well initially, but they felt an "electric jolt" between them as the evening wore on.
Ayda said: "We had a very awkward hour at his house and then he said he’d drive me back to a party I’d come from.
"[But he came in]. We sat on a sofa and just talked. It sounds so corny but I felt like an electric jolt."
Robbie added: "She was wearing a baggy wool dress with a big pouch in the front. Then she went off to get in the Jacuzzi and this Bond girl walked back into the room."
Once they started dating, the pair enjoyed "wandering around in kaftans and going to UFO conventions", leading a relaxed lifestyle – and it took a few years before Ayda realised just how famous the singer was, after an impromptu visit to the UK.
Robbie, 42, told Grazia magazine: "We arrived in this village, went to get a coffee and when we came out, people started following us, all smiling and taking photographs.
"It was like a personal village fete. I had no idea it would happen because I’d been out of the limelight for a few years.
"I was half miffed that our quiet day wasn’t happening and half bloody delighted that everyone still cared."
Robbie Williams’ wife calls him ‘national treasure’
