Take That star, Robbie Williams, has opened up about his beloved mum Janet’s dementia decline as he heartbreakingly admitted he ‘isn’t ready for it’
Robbie Williams has given a heartbreaking update on his mum’s health following her dementia diagnosis last year. The Take That star, 51, revealed Janet was diagnosed with the disease in November, and has now, sadly, admitted that she no longer recognises her superstar son.
Dad-of-three, Robbie, spoke candidly about Janet’s health battle during a recent concert while on tour in Germany as he conceded he ‘wasn’t ready for it’. He also discussed his dad Pete’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, explaining that he can no longer leave the house after previously admitting he was fighting “fear and panic” over the situation.
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As per The Sun, Robbie revealed that his mum “doesn’t know who I am anymore”, sharing: “My mother has dementia and she doesn’t know who I am anymore. She doesn’t know where she is anymore.”
He continued: “My dad has Parkinson’s and he can’t leave the house. He used to sing with me every night on stage, he would come out, steal the show and be charming and then wander backstage for a glass of red wine. Now he can’t leave the house.”
Robbie also revealed his wife Ayda’s mum is also battling ill health, saying that she was sadly suffering from lupus, Parkinson’s and cancer.
Speaking about the reality of his mum’s journey ahead, Robbie concluded: “It’s a strange place to be” before admitting “I’m not ready for it”.
Towards the end of last year, Robbie told The Mirror that he “didn’t know” how to cope with the “incredibly complicated” situation.
He said: “The truth is that I’m very busy and I’m not dealing with the situation as I should. I don’t really know how to do it, it’s an incredibly complicated thing.”
He continued: “But I prefer not to go into details, You know, if I say something, they might read it, and then I would have to answer a lot of questions.”
“Let’s put it this way: we are all human beings, with our difficulties, and I am trying to deal with mine.”
Robbie’s biopic, Better Man, features themes of familial love and loss, and touches on his relationship with his late grandmother, who also had dementia.
Speaking to Hello! about his family’s plight, he explained: “My mum’s currently got dementia – like my nan in the film – and my dad’s got Parkinson’s and can’t get out of bed. So I’m in a different part of my life right now.”
Back in 2020 Robbie revealed his dad Pete had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, admitting at the time that he was fighting “fear and panic” over the situation.
He told us that receiving the diagnosis during Covid made things twice as hard as he, wife, Ayda, and their children were self-isolating thousands of miles away from his parents in Los Angeles.
Robbie’s parents split in 1977. They also share daughter Sally, who is 11 years Robbie’s senior.
* More information and advice about Alzheimer’s can be found at the Alzheimer’s Society
