'I got a number one album with Robbie Williams' - Meet the former Leeds music student who voiced a pop star

Quite the milestone for him, of course, but a huge success also for the musician, and former Leeds student, Adam Tucker, whose voice can be heard throughout.

Better Man is a soundtrack to Williams’ biopic of the same name. Released last year, the film follows Williams’ childhood, time in Take That and his solo career, while exploring the issues fame can bring.

The star is represented on screen as a CGI chimpanzee, a comment on how he feels like a “performing monkey”.

Tucker landed the job of singing as Williams in the movie. The 30-year-old, who completed the Popular Music course at Leeds Conservatoire (formerly Leeds College of Music) in 2018, stood out to film producers who were seeking a soundalike of the pop icon.

Tucker says he showcased his voice on recordings and highlighted how he met other requirements for the role, emphasising experience gained in both television and recording studios as a student in Leeds.

That included winning BBC One’s Pitch Battle with Leeds Contemporary Singers, a vocal group comprised of students and led by a staff member.

Tucker sang much of the music heard in the film, with some performed by Williams himself.

He spent around 200 hours in the studio re-recording some of Williams’ best-known hits and adopted accent tweaks to reflect the Stoke-on-Trent star.

Cameras trained on his mouth so that special effects artists could then match the chimpanzee’s mouth movements to Tucker’s own.

He says: “I pretty much lived in the studios in Leeds and I think that had a massive influence on me, having studio time prior to working on this film.

“I just knew how vocal coaches worked and what I’ve realised is how my tutors were so industry standard.

"When I went to someone in the industry, it was like ‘I’ve worked for people at this calibre before’ so I never felt like I was out of my depth.”

With a number one to his name, Tucker now plans to release some of his own original music.

The Leeds connection continues with collaborators including fellow alumni, plus the original Brudenell Social Club piano being played on some tracks.

Tucker says: “Not actually singing my own stuff and singing someone else’s has opened the door.”

Williams is set to perform in cities across the UK and Europe this summer, with his 2025 tour beginning in Edinburgh on May 31.