Robbie Williams gives nonchalant response to World Cup cocaine accusations following viral video after revealing autism diagnosis

Robbie Williams has claimed he doesn't think it would be a problem if he had 'relapsed on cocaine' at the World Cup after he was forced to deny taking drugs.

When the singer, 52, was interviewed at the football final fans spotted something white falling from what appeared to be his nostril.

He performed during the opening ceremony of the game, but later, when he was chatting to pundits, fans spotted something white fall onto the microphone before the star quickly removed it and then stuck it onto his forehead.

After the incident, Robbie cleared up that it was a Nicorette chewing gum that had fallen out of his mouth, rather than anything suspicious.

However, during a public appearance on Thursday evening, Robbie did a bit of a U-turn when he declared that 'nobody would care' if he was on drugs. 

Speaking during a Q&A at the Autumn/Winter launch of his clothing brand Hopeium at Flannels, Robbie said he wanted to address the controversy.

Robbie Williams has claimed he doesn't think it would be a problem if he had 'relapsed on cocaine' at the World Cup after he was forced to deny taking drugs

When the singer, 52, was interviewed at the football final fans spotted something white falling from what appeared to be his nostril

He said: 'Can I clear something up I didn't relapse with cocaine at the World Cup the internet will be sure that coke fell out of my nose but it wasn't it was Nicorette.

'It is a shame but the next day 50million people saw that I had relapsed at the World Cup, but if I was on coke would it be a problem, who f***ing cares?'

'So many people said good for you Robbie, so I made some new fans because of what they thought I was doing.'

Elsewhere during the chat, Robbie spoke about his addiction battle with drugs and how he has now morphed into a different type of habit. 

Robbie revealed he now gets his kicks from fashion, saying: 'I didn't know that I loved fashion in the 90s because I just wore whatever jeans or T-shirt were on the floor.

'This is now my added gene I can't do cocaine, I can't do MDMA, I can't drink so where does the addiction go. And it's gone into clothes and fashion, it's incredibly serious.'

On the same evening, Robbie revealed he's been diagnosed with 'a little bit of autism' and admitted he still struggles with 'intrusive thoughts'.

He had previously shared he has ADHD, but revealed he also has the neurodevelopmental spectrum condition.

Robbie said he uses the diagnosis as a 'get-out-of-jail-free card'.

He said he's learned to 'train his brain to be creative' in a bid to block out things that could make him 'panic or be scared'.

He said: 'I have ADHD and I just found out I have a bit of autism as well, which I actually f****** love because it explains so much.

'It is my get-out-of-jail-free card now, and all the weird s*** that I do I just say, "Sorry, I'm autistic."

Robbie also revealed he's been diagnosed with 'a little bit of autism,' and admitted he still struggles with 'intrusive thoughts'

He had previously shared he has ADHD, but revealed he also has the neurodevelopmental spectrum condition (pictured on stage last week)

'With the ADHD you can completely and utterly concentrate on something 1000 per cent, but with absolutely everything else, you just cannot do it. Ask my kids.'

'What I'm completely and utterly obsessed with is creating images and making funny things, if I'm creating images and funny things, I'm not thinking about me, because my brain is incredibly creative, and it can be creative about everything in the world that you panic about or are scared about.

'For example, this is how crazy I am, recently, I was sitting on a plane, and I thought ''what if I can have telekinesis and my intrusive thoughts tell the plane to crash itself".

'So that's the kind of level of insanity that I'm dealing with, it's best to train my brain to do something better than worrying about having supernatural powers and crashing a plane.'

Autism was once defined as a serious developmental disorder characterised by intellectual disability and the struggle to learn or understand language.

But in recent years experts have loosened the definition. Symptoms include repetitive words or behaviours, struggling to vary routine and difficulties in social situations. 

Robbie has previously shared he's been diagnosed with ADHD three times, and in October he admitted he has been secretly living with Tourette syndrome.

Diagnosed with ADHD and having battled several addictions since rising to fame in the early 90s, the Angels singer has endured multiple spells in rehab for alcohol and drugs.

Speaking during a Q&A at the Autumn/Winter launch of his clothing brand Hopeium's at Flannels, Robbie said he uses the diagnosis as a 'get-out-of-jail-free card'

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Speaking on Paul Whitehouse and Dr Mine Conkbayir's podcast I'm ADHD! No You're Not, Robbie admitted he's still terrified of touring despite playing in front of sold-out stadiums and arenas for decades as a solo singer and before that as part of boyband Take That.

On his latest health condition, Robbie said: 'I've just realised that I have Tourettes, but they don't come out.

'They are intrusive thoughts that happen, I was just walking down the road the other day, and I realised that these intrusive thoughts are inside Tourettes. It just doesn't come out.

'Not only that, you would think that a stadium full of people professing their love to you would work as (a distraction), but whatever it is inside me cannot hear it. I cannot take it in.'

Tourette syndrome is an inherited, neurological condition which can be characterised by involuntary sounds and movements called tics.

The record 18-time Brit winner says he's been diagnosed with ADHD three times, the reason behind his numerous diagnoses being he 'forgot' each time he was told he had the condition.

He explained: 'So the first one was around 2006, where I saw these things, ADHD, on the internet. I'm like, "all of those things are me." Wow.

'And then I started to hear that you could get some medicine that behaved a bit like speed, right? Adderall.

'So, I go see the guy and I'm like, "I already know I'm all of these things. I already know that." So, I'll go and say this, then you give me the thing. And he gave me the thing.

'There was a relief that I'd got it officially diagnosed, but then also there was more a relief that I was getting 200 of these tablets and then I thought the tablets might fix me because you're always looking for the cure.

'You're always looking for the cure for the ailment of the disease inside your head. So I quickly went from taking the pills to crushing them and snorting them.' 

ADHD is a serious, complex neurobiological condition characterised by inattentiveness – such as having a short attention span, being easily distracted, appearing forgetful or losing things – and impulsivity, for instance, being unable to sit still and concentrate. 

THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF AUTISM

People with autism have trouble with social, emotional and communication skills that usually develop before the age of three and last throughout a person’s life. 

Specific signs of autism include: 

• Reactions to smell, taste, look, feel or sound are unusual
• Difficulty adapting to changes in routine
• Unable to repeat or echo what is said to them
• Difficulty expressing desires using words or motions
• Unable to discuss their own feelings or other people’s
• Difficulty with acts of affection like hugging
• Prefer to be alone and avoid eye contact
• Difficulty relating to other people
• Unable to point at objects or look at objects when others point to them