Robbie Williams and Nicole Appleton's relationship explained

26 December 2024, 10:00

Robbie Williams' life and career are out on full display in his new biopic, Better Man.

The legendary singer's youth and early days in Take That form a big focus of the critically-acclaimed musical, which is released at cinemas on Boxing Day, 2024.

One of the main talking points that threads throughout the movie is Robbie's relationship with All Saints singer Natalie Appleton.

• Robbie Williams film: Better Man cast, plot, release date, trailer and soundtrack revealed
• Why is Robbie Williams played by a monkey in film biopic Better Man?

Robbie and Nicole dated while both at the height of their fame in the mid-1990s, but eventually broke up.

By 2024, they have both had families with other people - but are now on very good terms, with Nicole turning up at the premiere of Robbie's film.

But when did they date and were they engaged?

1. When did Robbie and Nicole meet?

   

   They met in 1996 when Nicole was a member of the girl group All Saints and Robbie was already established as a solo artist after leaving Take That.

   Their initial meeting is said to have occurred at a recording studio in London.

   Robbie Williams and Nicole Appleton began dating in 1997, and their relationship lasted until 2000. Their romance was highly publicized in the British media during this period.

2. Were they engaged and was Nicole pregnant with Robbie's child?

   

   Yes, Robbie Williams and Nicole Appleton were engaged in 1998.

   During their relationship, Nicole became pregnant, but she later terminated the pregnancy.

   She discussed this experience in her 2002 autobiography Together, explaining that the decision was influenced by pressure from her record company, who suggested the pregnancy could negatively impact All Saints' success at that time.

   The engagement ended in 2000 when Williams broke it off.

3. When and why did they break up?

   

   Robbie Williams and Nicole Appleton ended their relationship in 2000. The breakup occurred when Williams ended their engagement via phone call while Appleton was on tour with All Saints in the United States.

   According to accounts from both parties in subsequent years, several factors contributed to the end of their relationship. The pressures of their respective music careers and intense media scrutiny placed significant strain on their relationship.

   Additionally, Williams was dealing with personal challenges during this period, including struggles with alcohol and mental health issues, which he has been open about in later interviews.

4. Who did Robbie and Nicole marry later?

   

   After their relationship ended, both Robbie Williams and Nicole Appleton went on to marry other partners.

   • Read more: Robbie Williams and Ayda Field relationship timeline: Marriage and children revealed

   Robbie Williams married American actress Ayda Field in August 2010 at his home in Beverly Hills, California. Williams and Field have four children together: Theodora (born 2012), Charlton (born 2014), Colette (born 2018), and Beau (born 2020).

   

   Nicole Appleton initially married Oasis frontman, and Robbie's rival, Liam Gallagher in February 2008. They had been in a relationship since 2000 and had a son, Gene, in 2001. However, their marriage ended in divorce in 2014.

   In 2021, Appleton married Stephen Haines, who works in the technology industry. They welcomed their daughter, Skipper, in 2020.

   Both Williams and Appleton appear to have found lasting happiness in their current marriages, having moved forward from their relationship in the late 1990s.