Robbie Williams says he has been an 'absent parent' after five months on tour as he pays tribute to wife Ayda for 'making him a man'

Robbie Williams has admitted the success of his career has made him an 'absent parent' after spending five months on a world tour.

The singer's BRITPOP tour kicked off in Edinburgh on May 31 and will saw him travel to the likes of Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Sweden.

It concluded in October, but it meant he sacrificed seeing enough of his children Teddy, 12, Charlie, 10, Coco, seven, and Beau, five, as he told the Mirror: 'This tour, in particular, I've been an absent parent.'

The former Take That member also gushed about his wife and mother-of-four Ayda, who he married in 2010 and paid tribute to in Pretty Face, the lead single from BRITPOP.

He said: 'When I sing it, I think about my wife. And I'm a big fan of marriage. I understand why people do it now. I didn't understand, coming from a broken home.

'But marriage has actually made me the man that I am. So, you know, the lyrics in that song are true. She's turned a boy into a man.' 

Robbie is set to go on the road once again for his Long 90s UK tour next month, where he will play in Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Wolverhampton.  

The singer recently surprised fans by releasing his new album BRITPOP three weeks earlier than planned.

The unexpected drop came in the early hours of Friday morning, with the album artwork projected onto several famous London landmarks to mark the launch.

Originally due to be released in October, BRITPOP was pushed back to February, to avoid a clash with Taylor Swift's Life Of A Showgirl, with Robbie admitting that he 'couldn't compete' with the American star.

It was clearly a smart move for Robbie, as the new release made Official Albums Chart history on Friday as he surpassed The Beatles to become the artist with the most UK Number One albums of all time.

The singer scored his 16th chart-topping LP with the album overtaking John, Paul, George and Ringo to claim more Number One albums than any other artist in UK chart history.

The singer's 13th studio album sees him leaning heavily into guitar-driven sounds inspired by the era that shaped his early solo ambitions.

Speaking about the milestone, Robbie said: 'BRITPOP is the record I've always wanted to make, and seeing it become my 16th Number 1 album means everything to me. 

'Thank you to all the fans who have been with me every step of the way. You've made my dreams come true.'

Robbie's first Number One album as a solo artist came with his 1997 debut Life Thru a Lens.

BRITPOP features singles Rocket, Spies, Human, Pretty Face and All My Life and boasts an eclectic lineup of collaborators.

Chris Martin of Coldplay, Gaz Coombes, Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi, Mexican pop duo Jesse and Joy, and former Take That bandmate Gary Barlow all feature.

Speaking previously about the inspiration behind the project, Robbie explained that BRITPOP is the album he always wanted to make after leaving Take That in 1995.

He said: '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.'