Daily Mirror

Let us Insta-tain you

- BY JULIE MCCAFFREY features@mirror.co.uk

SHE has landed a plum £10million role as one half of The X Factor’s first husband-and-wife judging team.

So is Ayda Field on her way to stepping out of Robbie Williams’ shadow to find UK fame in her own right?

It certainly looks that way and savvy Ayda knows celebritie­s are created on social media.

She and singer Robbie, who will perform today at the World Cup opening ceremony in Moscow, really show off their charm, wit and lovedup relationsh­ip for their 4.2 million followers on Instagram and Twitter.

The pair delight in posting everything from videos of each other sleeping, doing yoga, re-enacting scenes from The Bachelor TV show and their daughter begging Robbie – whose mega-hits include Angels and Let Me Entertain You – to swap his music for Beyonce’s.

They have even posted a surreal snap of them in bed with Ayda’s mum Gwen.

Look carefully and there are signs of 39-year-old Ayda’s career progress too.

She is pictured interviewi­ng X Factor chief Simon Cowell and referring to his partner Lauren Silverman as her friend.

Ayda also recently revealed five-yearold daughter Teddy and Simon’s son Eric, four, are mini-sweetheart­s, saying: “They’re like an old married couple, it’s very cute. They love each other, then it’s like, ‘Get away!’” Rumours abound that the family has signed up to do a fly-onthe-wall TV series, with a starring role for Gwen, 68. Although Ayda and Robbie have not confirmed the plans publicly, it is clear there would be lots of interest.

Charting the rise and rise of Ayda means rewinding to 2006, when Robbie, still in the grip of a drugs habit, agreed to a blind date with LA-born Ayda.

Robbie, 44, looked her up online and recalls in his biography, Reveal: “She was very attractive. But I was doing a lot of

pills that were making me antisocial. So we had plans but I flaked. I left her a message and it made her laugh.”

The first time Robbie set eyes on Ayda he thought she was “a bit frumpy”. Later that night, as they got into a hot tub, he changed his mind.

But high on a cocktail of drugs, Robbie started making chicken noises – enough to end any first date.

Robbie says: “There was a moment where Ayda had got changed and came in wearing this Ursula Andress bikini and she had a killer body. So I was in the Jacuzzi with a hot girl in Hollywood. But then I got ill, started to cluck, had to leave, embarrassi­ngly.”

Still, Ayda went with him and stayed at his side. At the time, her acting roles included American soap Days of Our Lives and a supporting role in Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip alongside Matthew Perry. For the next three years, as well as helping Robbie through rehab, Ayda had a smattering of pilots, short-lived series and guest roles, including one in Robbie’s 2009 music video for Bodies.

In August 2010, they wed in the grounds of his £13million Beverly Hills mansion. Their eight dogs took the place of bridesmaid­s and a best man. There was no hen party, no stag do, no wedding showers and no Take That bandmates present.

In November 2012, six weeks after the birth of Theodora Rose, Robbie and Ayda relocated to London, with Gwen tagging along. Ayda spent the next couple of years settling her new family in, and in October 2014 Robbie live-tweeted the birth of son Charlton. Their social media banter went on to attract millions and Ayda said: “That was mainly my idea. I mean, we all know I’m the brains behind this relationsh­ip.” However, the couple has faced a couple of setbacks. They were sued by a former personal assistant over claims of sexual harassment but the case was dropped. They have also had a difficult time with West London neighbour Jimmy Page, as the Led Zeppelin legend, 74, objects to radical plans to expand their mansion. Meanwhile, Ayda landed a role in Jack Whitehall’s Fresh Meat, then a slot on Celebrity Juice. Finally, she became a Loose Women panellist and ITV viewers lapped up her tales of life with Robbie and habit of sharing TMI, like faking orgasms. A show in November will focus on the couple. Ayda has said: “I’ve never minded being Mrs Robbie Williams because my ego is relatively small. But it is nice now people know there’s something else there besides that. Maybe he can be Mr Field now.”

Ayda set for stardom after couple take social media by storm

 ??  ?? Couple in bed with Ayda’s mum Gwen Robbie hides peeper in snap COSY CLAN VIEW HOO
Couple in bed with Ayda’s mum Gwen Robbie hides peeper in snap COSY CLAN VIEW HOO
 ??  ?? Doing their yoga together At the Loose Women studio With tiara in photo strip Messing about over dinner MOVERS BOL-Y GOOD FLEX SELLS
Doing their yoga together At the Loose Women studio With tiara in photo strip Messing about over dinner MOVERS BOL-Y GOOD FLEX SELLS
 ??  ?? With her pal Simon Cowell TAKE CHAT
With her pal Simon Cowell TAKE CHAT

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