Robbie won't take on Timberlake

Robbie Williams has deferred to the new prince of pop, Justin Timberlake.

The Stoke-born singer has reportedly retracted the release of his latest album to avoid stiff competition from Cameron Diaz’s beau.

The original plan meant Robbie’s 1974 and Justin’s FutureSex: LoveSounds were both due to come out on September 11, The Sun reports.

Robbie will now launch his album in early October, although he will still face competition from The Killers’ second release.

A source said: “Taking on Timberlake would have been madness but The Killers will still provide some serious competition.”