Robbie Williams has addressed being compared to a character from The Sopranos after issuing a 'fake apology' following his appearance during the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.
The on-screen gaffe
The singer described the incident as "the most me thing I’ve ever done" after a small white object fell from his mouth onto his microphone during a live TV interview. He wiped it away, and it later stuck to his forehead. Robbie confirmed it was a Nicorette mint in an Instagram video that has amassed millions of views.
Comparison to Paulie Walnuts
In a new Instagram post, he shared a photo of himself in a sparkly blue tracksuit alongside a photo of The Sopranos character Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri, played by Tony Sirico. He wrote: "To have a Nicorette fall out of my mouth during a live interview… and then stick to my forehead… is the most me thing I’ve ever done. I had absolutely no idea it was there until the following day. The fake apology has now had over 27 million views. The whole MintGate thing has reached 51 million people."
Robbie added that the comparisons were "magnificent" and reflected on the pressure of performing at the World Cup closing ceremony. He said: "It wouldn’t feel right if I appeared on the world stage and absolutely nothing weird happened. One and a half billion people were watching. For someone whose nervous system is permanently convinced we’re moments away from disaster, I’m quite proud that none of it was visible on my face. Well… apart from the Nicorette."
Addressing speculation
Poking fun at claims he had been under the influence, he wrote: "'Remember when Robbie was off his nut at the World Cup?' I wasn’t. I’m not. And I haven’t been for a very long time." He also revealed that moments before the interview, he declared backstage that his performance with Laura Pausini and Nicole Scherzinger had gone well because "no one died and I didn’t cause an international incident". He concluded: "I’m off to continue ageing in public. See you at the next misunderstanding."
