The Beatles

HE is already one of the most famous men in Britain, with a record 18 Brit Awards and record sales exceeding 80million.

And today, Robbie Williams has made history once again when his latest album Britpop soared to the top of the charts – meaning he has now surpassed The Beatles to become the act with the most No1 albums in UK history, with a total of 16.

In an exclusive chat after finding out the news, he said: “It’s absolutely insane.

“I’m still trying to take it all in and figure out what it all means.“I can just tell you that I’m glad that it’s happened to me.”

It comes a week after it was revealed he has quit the UK and is now splitting his time between the Bahamas and Miami, having only moved back to London from Los Angeles in 2022.

Revealing why he left the UK, he said of his new life in the sun: “Not going to lie, it’s not s**t. I’m done with bad weather.“

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“I was out of the UK for like 24 years and then I was in the UK, and I know what I prefer.

“Unfortunately it goes dark and grey at the end of September. And if you’re lucky, it doesn’t stop being dark and grey until the end of May.

“So I’m doing away with that bit and just being in the sunshine. And if you can, why not? Why wouldn’t you?”

And maybe he’ll come back here in the summer?

“Yeah. I mean, everybody’s heading to the Cotswolds, aren’t they? I’d like to do that.”

I’m bigger than the Beatles and Jesus. There you go, there’s your headline.

Robbie Williams

Robbie’s incredible new chart feat was unveiled this afternoon, although neither of the surviving Beatles members Sir Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr had been in touch… yet.

He quipped: “No, but I’m bigger than the Beatles and Jesus. There you go, there’s your headline.

‘I’m a more monster’

“It doesn’t make any sense. The Beatles, the best band to ever exist. They did everything before they split up and then achieved what they achieved with their solo careers and stuff.

“And here’s this daft [bloke] from Stoke, wandering into the party and claiming some sort of record that overthrows them for five minutes.

“In my life and in my mind, I’ll have that mean happiness for me.

“But I also realise that the Beatles are the Beatles. Elvis is Elvis. And I should be stacking some shelves in an Asda in Stoke-on-Trent, so I’m just very, very lucky.”

It’s an astonishing feat, having landed his first solo No1 album in 1997 with Life Thru A Lens after leaving Take That – and also scoring seven No1 singles along the way.

Ayda’s coming in tomorrow and a few of the kids are coming in tomorrow too. I guess I’ll be celebrating by buying Ayda a handbag. She doesn’t do cheap handbags.”

Robbie Williams

Joining on a Zoom call from a lavish hotel suite in Paris, he said he will be celebrating there this weekend – and his wife Ayda Field will be reaping the rewards.

He admitted: “Ayda’s coming in tomorrow and a few of the kids are coming in tomorrow too. I guess I’ll be celebrating by buying Ayda a handbag.

“She doesn’t do cheap handbags.”

At only 51, there’s plenty of life in Robbie yet, and I won’t be surprised if he has loads more No1s in the future.

Asked if he has a total he wants to hit, he said: “I think this could be an end to want and need in this particular field…”

But then he conceded: “Oh, who am I kidding?

“I always want more. I’ve got a more problem. I’m a more monster. The hole is unfillable. So, yeah, f**k, scrap everything I’ve just said. I want more.”

And he is relishing the success.

On whether he knows where his other No1 awards are, he panned the camera over to a table featuring all 16.

“Why would I?” he chuckled.

“They’re coming everywhere with me now.

“There’s nothing in my house that would suggest I am me and I do what I do for a living.

“Those should be somewhere. Maybe in the garage where I could, if I’m just showing people around, go, ‘Oh, yeah, those. Oh, who put those there?’”

During the chat, he also let slip that he has “five albums ready to go”, so there will be more music to come in the next few years.

He explained: “They’re all demos right now. But I don’t think I will be writing, I don’t think I have to write for a long time. I’ve already done it all. There’s a vault full of stuff.”

But self-deprecating as always, he added: “Whether great swathes of the general public will want it from me, who knows and who cares? But I’ve got stuff to deliver.”

Robbie’s 16 chart-topping albums

IF you’ve ever wondered where the biggest hotel in Europe is you might be surprised to learn that it’s right here in the UK.

The Royal National Hotel, is in the heart of Bloomsbury and has a whopping 1,630 rooms across eight floors – making it the largest in Europe by room number.

Run by Imperial London Hotels, the Royal National Hotel is an ideal spot for London tourists as it’s a two-minute walk from Russell Square station.

It’s 15-minutes from Soho so easy access to theatres, and a short tube journey away from King’s Cross and Euston.

There’s a choice of rooms for all from a cosy single to double rooms, twins and even triple rooms.

For a bit more space, check out the standard plus rooms, family rooms which sleep three or the standard plus family room.

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All rooms come with an en-suite, free Wi-Fi, TV, radio as well as tea and coffee making facilities.

You can book on a room only basis, or a bed and breakfast basis which comes with an unlimited buffet.

When it comes to eating, the Royal National Hotel has ‘The London Pub’ which is a ‘modern twist on the traditional British pub’.

It has local craft beers and ales, as well as a large selection of small plates to sharers.

For lighter bites, the hotel also has Blooms Coffee & Pizza which is open from 7am with pastries and coffee.

At 12pm it serves up sandwiches, salads and stone-baked pizzas.

The hotel gets rave reviews too, one wrote on Tripadvisor: “More than five stars for our stay! Location is wonderful, it was a brilliantly comfortable room and all the staff were excellent.”

Another said: “Our short stay at the hotel was absolutely perfect. The location couldn’t be better really easy to get around the city and just a quick trip to St. Pancras for the Eurostar.”

A one-night stay in a single or double room starts from £99 per night in January.

A standard plus family room that sleeps up to three people can be booked from £119 in January.

The hotel currently has an offer which takes 30 per cent off a Sunday stay when you choose a long weekend in London.

Or book direct to get 20 per cent off your stay.

Another popular hotel run by Imperial London Hotels is the President Hotel, also in Bloomsbury.

It was made famous back in 1963 by The Beatles when they used it as their London base during their rise to fame – at this point the hotel had just opened and it was brand new.

The legendary band known for hits like ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Let it Be’, even had a pillow fight in room 444.

There were then plenty of famous photos of the band taken around Russell Square.

One of the most well-known shots is referred to as the ‘shish-kebab’ and was taken on September 12, 1963.

A single and double room in the President Hotel start from £119 per night in January.

A twin room with an extra bed sleeping up to three people can be booked from £139 in January.

For more London hotels, Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding found the best value all inclusive central London hotel – with free food AND alcohol for £55pp a night.

And here are the 10 best-rated hotels in London on Tripadvisor – with stays from £30pp per night.