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Robbie Williams reveals the real reason he cancelled tour dates

The singer had previously said he was struck down by a mystery 'illness'

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Gemma Strong
Online Digital News Director
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Robbie Williams has opened up about his decision to cancel the remaining dates of his Heavy Entertainment Show tour. Fans of the Angels singer were left concerned earlier this month when Robbie pulled out of performances in St Petersburg, Moscow and Sochi. And it has now been revealed that Robbie was forced to cancel after he slipped a disc in his back, leaving him in agony. "The most difficult thing about creating the tour was my health and my back," the 43-year-old told the Daily Star. "I've got a slipped disc and it was kind of stressful."

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Robbie Williams and wife Ayda have been married since August 2010

Robbie, who has spoken openly about his mental health, including his battle with depression and agoraphobia, added: "You have to be physically and mentally fit. I have to be as mentally fit as I can be to take on such a massive undertaking: there's one million-plus people that are coming to see me and you can't do that with a bad back, but I have."

The star – who shares two children with wife Ayda Field - previously spoke to the Sunday Times about the pressure of being in the spotlight. "This job is really bad for my health," he confessed. "It's going to kill me. Unless I view it in a different way." He also said he believes that his depression is genetic. "It sprints through my family. But equally, I don't know if I'd be this mentally ill without fame. I don't think it would be as gross or as powerful if it hadn't have been for fame. You get a magnifying glass in the shape of the world's attention and your defects will obviously magnify too. I'm not moaning about it. I would still have signed up. I'm just saying, when 'a' happens, it does 'b' to me."