US market too much hard work for Robbie

Robbie Williams says he can't be bothered to try to crack the American market because it's too much hard work.

The star recently signed an £80m (€125.5m) five-album contract with EMI, with the view to finally becoming a household name in the US.

But at the launch of his new album Escapology, at the British Embassy in Berlin, he said he believed his career is going downhill.

"I think after this tour and this album it's all downhill, I genuinely do," he told The Sun.

"This is the pinnacle of my career right now, so come and see me in a holiday camp like Butlins in around five years with Oasis."

He added: "This album apparently is supposed to be written to appeal to an American audience.

"The reason I spend a lot of time in LA is apparently because I'm so desperate to break it Stateside. This is embellishment on a half-truth and a half-lie.

"The truth is I'm completely not bothered. I've done a hell of a lot of work since I was 16 with Take That and then my solo career but I'm really not interested in breaking America, it's too much hard work.

"I've got an amazing audience here and over in Asia and I don't need to."