Troubled British pop star Robbie Williams has spent his 33rd birthday in a United States rehab clinic after checking in for dependency on prescription drugs.
The former Take That singer has struggled with depression, alcohol and drugs since leaving the boy band in 1995, despite worldwide success that includes sales of 65 million records.
"Robbie Williams has today been admitted into a treatment centre in America for his dependency on prescription drugs," his spokeswoman Bryony Watts said.
The Evening Standard newspaper said he is believed to be at the exclusive but "hardcore" Meadows clinic in Arizona, where outside contact is banned, along with alcohol, sugar, cigarettes and caffeine.
It said it is officially a Level 1 Psychiatric Acute Hospital and specialises in a '12-step' treatment of serious disorders, from schizophrenia to heroin addiction.
Williams, who now lives in Los Angeles, last year cancelled the Asian leg of his 'Close Encounters' world tour over what he said was stress and exhaustion.
He described how he suffered from depression in a BBC documentary last year on bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, involving roller-coaster mood swings.
In the interview, he said he began taking anti-depressants because he feared he was returning to his old ways after enjoying 13 months of clean living.
"I'd get up in front of 40,000 people and say 'look at me, I'm ace,'" he said.
"And then as soon as I got off stage, I'd get in the tour coach and go back to my bedroom and pull the duvet over my eyes.
"Cocaine gave me a twitch..
. and drink just made me ill. So all the props I had just had to be removed.
"
Formed in Manchester in 1990, Take That dominated the pop charts in the first half of the decade with their dance tunes and soulful ballads, before Williams struck out on his own, a year before the group's demise.
He was invited to join the group during their comeback tour last year but passed up the chance.
Soon after leaving school at 16, Williams joined Gary Barlow, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Howard Donald as the youngest member of Take That.
But Williams was dismissed as the "fat dancer" from the group and perceived to have little real talent.
He also began to rebel against the band's clean-cut image, clowning around with the Gallagher brothers from the band Oasis.
Following the bitter split with Take That, he launched his solo career that got off to a rocky start when he sued his old record company and fired three managers in quick succession.
However, Angels, believed to be a tribute to his mother Jan, revived his career when it became a big hit on radio, though it did not top the charts.
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