Robbie Williams and Geri Halliwell briefly dated in 2000 (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
Robbie Williams has said intense press attention made him paranoid during his relationship with Geri Halliwell Horner.
The Angels singer, 49, reflects on his relationship with the Spice Girl, 51, in his upcoming Netflix documentary and explains relentless press intrusion ’ruined’ a ‘joyous’ time in his life.
In the four-parter, Robbie hints his short-lived romance with the Wannabe singer, which lasted for a few months in 2000, ended after he was told she was tipping off paps.
Robbie says: ‘Wherever we went, the paparazzi were there before we got there. These very private personal moments became public property and we were just dumbfounded how this could be happening.
‘I bumped into a guy who’s a paparazzi and he told me it was Geri doing it. Now I don’t think that’s true for one second but at the time I did believe it.
‘It just goes to show what being in the spotlight can do to your psyche when you can’t trust anybody and it ruined in some way the memory of such an important part of my life and such a joyous occasion.’
Robbie was full of praise for Geri and their relationship in the documentary (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
The documentary features a previously unseen holiday video of Robbie and Geri, as well as songwriter Guy Chambers and his wife Emma Chambers at the start of their relationship.
In a voice-over, Robbie explains he found Geri’s company ‘very, very easy’, adding: ‘I just found her company very very easy. There was a silliness. We really got on really well. It was fun.’
As widely believed, Robbie’s personal footage also shows him using his romance with Geri as inspiration for the song Eternity, which features the lyrics: ‘You were there for summer dreaming. And you gave me what I need.’
Robbie said he found Geri’s company very easy(Picture: Getty Images)
Robbie previously described the intensity of the press attention around him and the Viva Forever singer’s relationship in his tell-all autobiographical book, Reveal.
To evade reporters, Robbie said he had to smuggle Geri out of his flat and into the boot of a car in a duffle bag.
Geri also previously spoke about her relationship with Robbie, although denied it was romantic, on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2010 and credited him with saving her life.
Geri is now with Formula One ace Christian (Picture: Shutterstock)
She said: ‘I was worried I’d get fat. I would binge and then feel fatter and would make myself sick. It was awful.
‘Robbie knew about my bulimia and he advised me to get help. He told me to go to rehab and that possibly saved my life.
‘The bulimia would have got worse without it. I will always be grateful to him, always.’
Speaking about their relationship, Geri said she became ‘really close’ with Robbie after she quit the Spice Girls.
She explained: ‘It was a very poignant friendship. I was lonely and felt he was the only person on the planet who could understand me because of his experiences with Take That.’
Robbie is now happily married to Ayda (Picture: Getty)
‘We understood each other. But I didn’t really go out with him. I am happy and healthy now.’
Robbie has been married to actress and former Loose Women presenter Ayda Field, 44, since 2010.
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The couple share four children Teddy, ten, Charlie, eight, Coco, four, and Beau, three.
Geri, meanwhile, tied the knot with Formula One pro Christian Horner in 2015 and has a daughter, Bluebell, 17, with screenwriter Sacha Gervasi.
Robbie Williams will be available to stream on Netflix from November 8.
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‘It ruined in some way the memory of such an important part of my life’