With his wide grin, rosy cheeks and signature 70s bowl cut, the cute kid in this rarely seen childhood photo is almost impossible to recognise today. But despite humble beginnings, he would grow up to become one of Britain鈥檚 biggest pop stars 鈥 loved by the nation for his charisma, chaos, and cheeky charm. Born Robert Peter Williams in 1974, the future star spent his early years in Burslem, a suburb of Stoke-on-Trent. Recognise his cheeky grin yet? Yes, it鈥檚 none other than Robbie Williams – many years pre-Take That fame. He may have been all smiles for the camera, but Robbie鈥檚 upbringing was far from easy. In a 2022 podcast, he described his childhood as one of 鈥渁bsolute poverty,鈥 while praising Jan for doing everything she could to give him and Sally the best start 鈥 from running a coffee shop to a florist. That resilience left a deep impression. 鈥淢y mum is the pillar of strength that has kept me sane throughout my mad life,鈥 he鈥檚 said. Robbie鈥檚 parents, Peter and Jan, divorced when he was just three, and he remained with his mum and half-sister Sally. 鈥淲hat she managed to do by herself as a single parent raising two kids was nothing short of miraculous,鈥 he later said. Though he would go on to achieve global fame, the singer never forgot his roots. 鈥淚 love where I鈥檓 from. I love my people, I love my tribe, I love the sense of humour.鈥 As a young boy, Robbie dreamed of playing for his beloved Port Vale Football Club, though he admitted he was 鈥渘ever good enough to be a pro.鈥 At school, he struggled too: Failing most of his GCSEs, he later discovered he is neurodivergent, with dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia. 鈥淚 just thought I was dumb,鈥 he said. But instead of letting it hold him back, he used it to propel him even further, 鈥淚t was the most important bit of fuel I ever got.鈥 It was on stage, not in the classroom, that he first found a sense of value – starring in school plays like Oliver! and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. 鈥淚 remember the overwhelming feeling of euphoria when I got an ovation. It blew my mind to be valued for something.鈥 That love of performance ran in the family. His father, Pete Conway, was a comic and singer who regularly performed with Robbie on tour. 鈥淢y dad was, and is, my hero,鈥 he once said. 鈥淚 wanted to be him, sing like him, tell jokes like him.鈥 The pair toured together for over a decade, until Pete鈥檚 Parkinson鈥檚 diagnosis made it too difficult. 鈥淗e won鈥檛 be able to do it with me anymore and that saddens me.鈥 But Robbie鈥檚 big break came at age 16, when a letter from Jan led to an audition for a boyband. After a lacklustre performance, he left the room – but before making his exit, he shot manager Nigel Martin-Smith a cheeky wink. 鈥淪o if it wasn鈥檛 for that wink, none of this would exist,鈥 he later said. That wink earned him a spot in Take That 鈥 and the rest is history. Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .