Robbie Williams was "despised" by "pretentious bullies" in the music industry

In an interview with The Sunday Times newspaper, Robbie was asked what the "big 1990s rock movement" made of him and he replied: "I was despised.

"I set out my stall that I am an entertainer, so they looked down at me like I was a walking fart.

"They were pretentious bullies. People thought I was a c***."

Asked if he has "dealt with any of these bullies since", Robbie said: "Yes, but I can tell that I am still a figure of fun.

"Look, I'm not asking for respect. I'm just asking to be treated like a human.

"I know which lane I'm in, but there was definitely this indie archetype with rules set in stone. 'You can't sell out.' But I never bought in.

"I did the Do What U Like video for Take That naked with jelly on my bum when I was 17, so my dignity was never there. Having dignity wouldn't have served me."

Robbie has referenced that period of his life by naming his new album Britpop and including a picture of himself at Glastonbury in 1995 in the cover art.

The record is due for release in February. At the time he announced the release, Robbie explained the record's theme in a statement, saying: "I set out to create the album that I wanted to write and release after I left Take That in 1995.

"It was the peak of Britpop and a golden age for British Music. I've worked with some of my heroes on this album; it's raw, there are more guitars and it's an album that's even more upbeat and anthemic than usual.

"There's some 'Brit' in there and there's certainly some 'pop' too - I'm immensely proud of this as a body of work and I'm excited for fans to hear this album."