Robbie Williams Says He Has Tourette Syndrome

Robbie Williams revealed that he has Tourette syndrome.

The English singer-songwriter, 51, appeared on the Oct. 2 episode of Paul Whitehouse and Dr. Mine Conkbayir’s I’m ADHD! No You’re Not podcast and opened up about the disorder and claimed his tics are “intrusive thoughts.”

Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by rapid, repetitive and involuntary muscle movements or sounds (tics), according to the Mayo Clinic. 

Tics can range from mild to severe and, in some cases, they can be debilitating and lead to self injuries, according to the Tourette Association of America. The frequency and severity of tics also change regularly, and can be in response to factors like stress, anxiety, excitement, fatigue, illness and more.

“I’ve just realised that I have Tourette’s, but they don’t come out,” Williams said on the show. 

“They are intrusive thoughts that happen. I was just walking down the road the other day and I realized that these intrusive thoughts are inside Tourette’s,” the musician explained. “Not only that, you would think that a stadium full of people professing their love to you would work [as a distraction], but whatever it is, inside me, cannot hear it. I cannot take it in.”

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Additionally, Williams shared that he believes he has autism. However, he recently took an online test that told him otherwise.

“It turns out I’m not [autistic], but I’ve got autistic traits. And it’s around, social stuff, it’s about interaction,” he explained.

Conkbayir then asked Williams why he’s so adamant that he is. The former Take That band member said that getting an official autism diagnosis would give him an “understanding of why I feel so uncomfortable in my skin.” 

“When I’m in bed, that’s my comfort zone. Anywhere outside of that bed is my discomfort zone,” he explained. “It’s getting better. It was awful, horrendous through my 20s, bad through my 30s, my 40s started to get better and I’m on an upward curve, but I’m still uncomfortable in my skin.”

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“Much like I have sought out medication to fix it, I’m constantly still looking for the reason and the whys,” the singer added.

Autism Speaks defines autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as “a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.”

According to the organization, signs of autism usually present around ages 2-3. However, signs can be missed because autism is a spectrum and pediatricians may want to give a patient time to develop before making a diagnosis, the Child Mind Institute states.