Nicole Appleton and Robbie Williams proved their friendship to each other on Wednesday night when the All Saints star attended her ex-boyfriend’s biopic premiere.
Robbie premiered his film Better Man at Leicester Square in London and was joined by friends, family and collaborators on the red carpet.
But it was Nicole’s presence that really proved how much has changed over the years.
The All Saints star arrived with her sister Natalie, husband Stephen Haines and close friend Holly Willoughby to show her support for the film, which covers her tumultuous Nineties romance with Robbie.
The pair met while working on Top of the Pops in 1997 and began a whirlwind nine-month romance, during which Robbie proposed. But the romance ended shortly after Nicole had an abortion in 1999.
On Wednesday, Nicole looked stunning in a floor-length red glitter dress as she posed confidently on the red carpet before cozying up to Holly for a few selfies.
Nicole Appleton and Robbie Williams proved their friendship to each other on Wednesday when the All Saints star attended her ex’s biopic premiere with her good friend Holly Willoughby
The All Saints star showed her support for the film, which covers her tumultuous Nineties romance with Robbie (Nicole and Robbie pictured in 1998)
Holly shared the photos on Instagram, gushing: ‘Tonight I went to see #bettermanmovie with the BEST women… love you @nicoleappleton What an incredible movie… so moving.’
In conversation with Hello! ahead of the premiere, Robbie explained how he invited Nicole to an early screening, before admitting: “The hardest part is watching Nicole and what we went through because she was ordered to get rid of our baby…”
The singer added: “I didn’t let her do that, but I was a terrible friend, really terrible, and I was at the height of my addiction and alcoholism.
“And it breaks my heart every time I look at it, because she’s a complete angel, and there’s still shame attached to who I was then.”
Robbie added that he called her as soon as she left the screening and they both shed tears before saying he was looking forward to “giving her a hug” at Wednesday’s premiere.
Nicole revealed her side of the relationship and breakup in her 2002 autobiography Together, in which she wrote how she became pregnant with Robbie’s baby but had an abortion under pressure from All Saints’ record company.
Recalling Robbie’s reaction to her pregnancy at the time, she said: ‘Robbie Williams put his hand on my stomach and said to me, ‘This baby saves my life.’
Robbie supported his ex’s decision to write about the abortion in her autobiography, but later admitted that reliving it had ‘torn him apart’.
“I fully supported her… If there’s something that’s so deeply ingrained within you that you feel like it would be better for you if you just exorcised it and got it off your chest, because secrets can make you sick and secrets can make you sick. feel terrible… then I fully support her,” he previously told the Ny Breaking.
On Wednesday, Nicole looked stunning in a floor-length red glitter dress as she posed confidently on the red carpet
The All Saints star arrived with her husband Stephen Haines and close friend Holly Willoughby to show her support for the film
Nicole and Robbie met while working on Top of the Pops in 1997 and began a whirlwind nine-month romance, during which Robbie proposed
Robbie also reflected on his relationship with Nicole last year in his revealing Netflix documentary.
Home video footage showed the pop couple in the early days of their romance after they met on Top Of The Pops in 1997.
Footage then shows the moment a smitten Robbie, who was in the middle of his hugely successful solo career at the time, proposed during a short telephone conversation.
Reflecting on the nine-month relationship, which saw the couple split several times, Robbie explained that he was ‘not fit’ to commit.
Robbie has been working on Better Man since 2021 – the film is scheduled for release on December 26.
Robbie attended the premiere of his biopic with his wife Ayda Field
Nicole was joined by her sister and bandmate Natalie Appleton in Leicester Square on Wednesday evening
The singer is played in the film by actor Jonno Davies in the form of a CGI monkey. While Jonno takes on the role of the younger Robbie, the singer can be heard in voiceover and later plays the older version of himself.
The official synopsis reads: ‘Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall and remarkable revival of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
“Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”), the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature humor and indomitable spirit.
‘It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to the youngest member of hit boy band Take That, to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – while facing the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.’