Robbie Williams has revealed in an interview with a German newspaper that he might become a comedian.

In the interview with Die Zeit the Angels hit-maker said that he believes a switch to comedy may help to dispel the image of the gifted-yet-depressed performer who is "barely able to get out of bed the next day" that the media seem intent on giving him.

"My father was a stand-up comedian for years. Maybe I will be one day too," he was quoted as saying. "I notice sometimes on stage that the music suddenly gets in the way because I just want to talk to the audience or make them laugh."

He went on to describe how the media have labelled him: "For years there has been this public image of me that I have never understood. They say again and again that I'm a deeply depressed, sad bloke.

"The media seem to like it - he is on the one hand the famous entertainer Robbie Williams but on the other hand he cannot enjoy his life at all. He can't be happy! He is depressed, a horrible person, he can't sing and he must be gay."

Williams recently accepted substantial libel damages from People newspaper, Star and Hot Stars magazine after they claimed in print that he had had homosexual affairs