Robbie Williams bought “uncle of sorts” Eric Morecambe’s iconic glasses and pipe at auction for £20k

nme.com:

Robbie Williams bought Eric Morecambe’s iconic glasses and pipe at auction for £20k, he has revealed.An auction containing memorabilia and personal items from the comedy legend’s life and career took place between 5 and 9 January, after his widow Joan died at the age of 97 last March.It was reported at the time by the BBC that Morecambe’s famous glasses had sold for £20,000, far exceeding their estimate of £2,000 to £4,000.

Now, Williams has revealed that he was the highest bidder, buying the glasses and the pipe as a “done-loads-of-promo-for-my-film prezzie”, following the recent release of his musical biopic Better Man.Writing on Instagram, Williams shared that his friend Mike had been appointed as his “Chief Bidder” as he was in Los Angeles and about to board a plane. “As it happens, I got to watch the lot being auctioned live.

My iPhone and Mike’s iPhone acting like walkie-talkies,” he wrote.The singer went on to describe the intense bidding war that took place over ten minutes, writing that his wife Ayda Field encouraged him to keep bidding “with the steely determination of someone bursting through an electronics store door on Black Friday”.A post shared by Robbie Williams (@robbiewilliams)“To be honest, I think we would have gone down with the bidding ship,” he wrote. “Our determination now fully on some primal competitive and irrational shit – “But darling, we’re now going through the children’s inheritance”…….”Fuck em”.”Once he won the war, Williams said he cried “happy childlike tears”.“I guess we all need friends-we-never-meet from off the telly.

Eric has always been mine,” he said. “An Uncle of sorts. To the very core of me, Eric Morecambe’s spirit has been salve for my soul.