Robbie Williams is not going out again

A shock for the cultural life of the nation: Robbie Williams has quit touring. He's greeted the new year by blogging:

There might not be a proper album out this year and there definitely won't be a tour anytime soon. Fuck that, the last one nearly killed me.

But there will be some kind of something this year. I might just put the B-sides to the next album out first. Online

Then put an album out in 2009. Which means you won't be seeing a lot of me onstage for a while. Sorry folks.

I do have to say, the more time I’m spending away from public life, the more I like it. Unfortunately I have a massive competitive urge that wants me to put out three albums a year.

“Which one will win? I’m sure as soon as I get bored I’ll be back. But right now there’s a soy vanilla latte and mince pie waiting for me in the kitchen.”

Of course, Williams spouts this sort of announcement with the regularity of a speaking clock, so we're not going to start hanging out bunting yet; and there's the threat of dreadful records to take the edge off the joy anyway.

But if Williams likes being away from the public eye - and, clearly, the public eye doesn't mind - perhaps he might like to make that estrangement permanent and stop publishing attention-seeking messages?