Robbie Williams faced mixed reactions following his headline performance at ABC's New Year's Eve broadcast in Sydney, Australia.
The British popstar delivered a set featuring his biggest hits, opening with the rousing Let Me Entertain You before moving into a cover of Land Of A Thousand Dances.
There was a brief hiccup during Me And My Monkey, with Williams missing his cue and blaming his band, though his performance of Feel went off without a hitch.
The former Take That singer completed his set with crowd favourites Rock DJ and Angels, alongside a cover of John Farnham's You're The Voice, which he introduced as Australia's national anthem.
The performance took place against the iconic backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as part of ABC's countdown to midnight.
During his performance, Williams took the opportunity to promote his upcoming biopic Better Man, which was filmed in Australia.
Robbie Williams performed to hundreds of fans to see in the New Year in Sydney
ABC AUSTRALIA
The singer launched into a shameless plug mid-set, declaring: "Some critics are calling it the movie of the century! Not my words, except they are because I just made that up."
He even altered the lyrics of Better Man to reference the film, singing "so go watch my movie, it's full of drugs and sex, I've got my own biopic, I'm not even dead".
The film, which received its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, was released on December 26 in Australia.
Better Man has already garnered significant attention, receiving a record-breaking 16 nominations at the 2025 AACTA Awards.
Robbie Williams was accused of using the gig to promote his new biopic
ABC AUSTRALIA
The performance sparked controversy on social media, with many viewers questioning the use of taxpayer money through ABC, Australia's government-owned broadcaster.
"Did my tax dollars pay for this lazy Robbie Williams set? What the f***. PR for a movie during a set as well?!" wrote one person on X, formerly Twitter.
Another viewer posted: "Robbie Williams on @ABCTV is a new low for this country. Our tax dollars down the f***ing drain watching this washed up clown."
"The taxpayers funding Robbie Williams is an odd way to end and start. Absolutely f***ed," commented another critic.
And a fourth hit out: "Never seen anything like that a new low for the #abc."
The backlash particularly focused on ABC's decision to allow Williams to promote his film during the broadcast, with one viewer noting: "The ABC, a non commercial network running 15 minute promotion for Robbie Williams new movie."
However, not all viewers were critical of the performance, with some defending Williams' entertainment value.
"Imagine being so sooky on New Year's Eve that you get offended about Robbie Williams plugging his movie that was shot and directed by Australians," wrote one supporter.
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"No one entertains better than Robbie Williams - NO ONE," declared another fan. (sic)
Williams has established himself as one of Britain's most successful artists, having sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history by 2008.
His record sales stand at over 77 million worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.
He has won a record 18 Brit Awards, including Best British Male Artist four times and two awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
