Robbie Williams thought his time had 'been and gone'

Robbie Williams said he thought his time had "been and gone".

The 'You Know Me' singer said he has been surprised by the reception to his latest album 'Reality Killed The Video Star' as he thought the last three years out of the spotlight would have been the end of his career.

He said: "It's been very, very odd and very, very lovely. The album is number one in 18 countries already. I thought my time had been and gone.

"I knew the material was good, but sometimes it doesn't make the sales or people getting it, but what I thought was going on evidently isn't!"

In a surprising move, Robbie also said he thought British R 'n' B group JLS should beat him to the top spot in the album charts in his home country – where the two acts respective albums were released on Monday (09.11.09).

He added to BBC Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton: "JLS are so close behind me this week I think it's like 3,000 sales or something, it's so close. I really like those guys, they look like nice people, they are at the start of their career and they deserve the number one."

Robbie, 35, quickly backtracked however, joking: "They deserve it... but can I just backtrack a little bit? I deserve it more. The time I've put in the back catalogue, the sweat, the stars, the rehab trips... They haven't been to rehab once!"

The 'Angels' hitmaker – who has battled addiction to alcohol and drugs - also told of the tremendous nerves he felt ahead of his comeback concert at London's Roundhouse last month.

He added: "I didn't know it was going to in 300 cinemas around the world as well, which I am glad I didn't!

"About 24 hours before the show I was like, 'You can't think about this', so I attacked it like I wasn't bothered and it was the best way - or I was going to put myself in a mental home again.

"I thought, 'I'm just going to stand there and sing the songs and see what everyone says afterward'."