Health groups have dubbed rocker Robbie Williams a "very bad boy" for smoking onstage during one of his sell-out Brisbane concerts.
The British entertainer on Wednesday night smoked a cigarette during banter with a 52,000-strong crowd at Suncorp Stadium, in the first of two Brisbane shows from his
Close Encounters world tour.
Williams, 32, told the adoring crowd he was well aware of a smoking ban at the venue but had failed in his attempts to quit.
Officials yesterday urged Williams not to repeat sending the "wrong message to kids" and flouting the law by lighting up again at last night's second show.
The Queensland Cancer Fund's prevention and early detection unit manager Susan Greenbank said his smoking performance was disappointing.
"Robbie's a very bad boy and there are a number of staff at the Queensland Cancer Fund who are more than willing to give him a stern talking to about this," she said. "It's disappointing he chose to break the law. "[But] that's probably indicative of his attitude to most things ... he's very 'I'm Robbie Williams, I can do what I like' ... so it's probably not that surprising."
A spokesman for Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson said officials would not pursue a $A150 fine ($172) fine for Williams for breaking anti-smoking regulations at sporting venues.
"The [Health] Department has communicated with Ogden - Ogden operates Suncorp Stadium ... it is up to them to police these sorts of things and to make sure people abide by the laws," the spokesman said. "It is illegal to smoke at public venues such as Suncorp Stadium." But he urged Williams not to light up again.
"Robbie is obviously a visitor to this state and he may not be aware of the laws and how seriously we treat them and, while it was a great show, we hope there isn't a repeat performance tonight of that particular episode. It sends the wrong message to kids."
An official said noise from the concert, in the inner suburb of Milton, went "slightly" over the limit twice but drew only seven complaints to a hotline.
- AAP
