Robbie Williams rips into ABC ‘twits’ at free Melbourne concert after he ‘got in trouble’ for ‘over-promoting’ his new biopic during NYE performance

Robbie Williams hit out at ABC-TV and other news outlets on Thursday after being criticized for “over-promoting” his new biopic Better Man.

The British pop star, 50, was speaking at the Royal Exhibition Building ahead of his free concert in Melbourne at Federation Square when he criticized the channel.

The hitmaker told his critics to ‘f*** off’ and said he wouldn’t come to Australia just to ‘sing Angels again’ unless he could promote his new film.

‘Does anyone know that I got in trouble for over-promoting my film on TV? Why the hell did they think I was there?’ he said angrily at the speaking event.

“Get on a plane, come down and sing Angels again? F*** away! I’m here to sell my damn movie, you idiots. You book Robbie Williams, you get Robbie Williams.’

Robbie then called back when he realized the backlash had to do with taxpayers’ money being spent on the singer promoting his film to the masses.

‘Is the ABC financed by you, is that something? Oh, soz Australia,” he said.

The performance he referred to, which received a lot of response, took place at the Opera House on New Year’s Eve around 11:45 p.m., as he rang the bell in 2025 with a sing-along.

He divided ABC viewers Tuesday night, despite bringing down the house at the end of the network’s New Year’s Eve broadcast.

The British pop superstar missed no opportunity to promote his new biopic, Better Man, which landed in a shameless plug midset.

It was before his performance of Better Man that Robbie gave a rave review of his own film of the same name.

‘Some critics are calling it the film of the century! Not my words, just because I just made that up,” he told the crowd.

The action divided viewers, with many annoyed at the ABC – a government-funded television station – spending a pretty penny on Robbie’s performance.

‘Did I pay my taxes for this lazy Robbie Williams set? What the ***. Also PR for a film during a set?!’ wrote one person on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Robbie Williams is busy posing and promoting himself, how about singing a song,” another added alongside a thumbs down emoji.

“Your tax dollars hard at work with this Robbie Williams performance,” another posted.

It comes after Robbie took Melbourne by storm on Thursday afternoon when he performed a free concert at Federation Square at 5pm.

The English pop star was packed with fans who camped out for hours to catch a glimpse of the singer-songwriter during the surprise performance.

With standing places going to those who got in first, heartbroken fans who missed out were forced to watch Robbie perform on screen at Birrarung Marr Park.

The iHeartLIVE concert was completely free for spectators as Robbie belted out his biggest hits to promote his new biopic Better Man.

Fed Square quickly reached maximum capacity as fans rushed to get a spot at the concert, while hundreds of people continued to lounge on blankets on a hilltop above the river.

The award-winning hitmaker opened the show with his 1997 smash hit Let Me Entertain You, as he stepped out in a crisp white blazer and stunning sunglasses.

Fans in attendance quickly took to X – formerly Twitter – to share their experiences, with one person writing: ‘Just saw Robbie Williams perform live. Impressive artist.’

‘Free Robbie William’s concert at Fed Square? Yeah, f***it,” another added.

A third said: ‘God bless crazy people going live on social media. Robbie Williams is bloody brilliant.’

Other Melburnians were stunned to come across a sudden pop concert during their day out in the city.

“I was just walking through my town and saw Robbie Williams perform,” one person said.

‘The commute home has just been postponed because Robbie Williams is playing a random free gig in the middle of the city. So I ended up hearing Angels live while waiting for my tram,” wrote another.

In footage and footage from the concert, screaming fans were seen standing shoulder to shoulder as they watched Robbie take the stage.

And the singer proved he’s as charming as he looks, taking time between songs to share jokes with the audience.

“What makes me laugh about this whole thing is the police horses here because of the menopausal crowd I attract,” he joked at one point.

“They’re violent bastards.”

Emily, a fan in the front row, broke down in tears when she was approached by Robbie and revealed it was her first time seeing him live as she had never been able to afford tickets to his previous concerts.

Moved by her tears, Robbie dedicated his song She’s The One to his fan, supplementing the text ‘somebody’ with ‘Emily’.

“This is what you call pandering to the locals,” he joked cheekily.

The all-ages concert kicked off at 5pm on Thursday, with Robbie moving to the Astor Theater in Windsor to take part in a question and answer session before the screening of his bio photo.

During his time in Melbourne, Robbie will also receive a key to the city from Mayor Nick Reece in recognition of the contribution his film has made to the city.

The Better Man clip was filmed in Melbourne, created 2,929 jobs and raised $142 million in Victoria.

It follows Robbie’s rise in Europe and Britain, with Jonno Davies playing the hitmaker in the form of a CGI monkey.

According to a City of Melbourne spokesperson, only 40 keys to the city have been handed out in history, with Robbie joining the likes of Muhammad Ali, Dame Edna and Olivia Newton John in receiving the honour.

Mayor Nick Reece said: ‘There is no better man to hold a key to our city than legendary British pop singer Robbie Williams.

“From one tragic Carlton to another, I can’t wait to share the stage with Robbie and create another iconic Melbourne moment for us all to cherish.”