Robbie Williams has said he bought Eric Morecambe’s glasses for £20,000 at auction as the comedian was an “uncle of sorts” whose “spirit has been salve for my soul”.

The singer said he cried “happy, childlike tears” after winning the bidding war last month with a final offer far exceeding the £2,000 to £4,000 estimate.

The imitation tortoiseshell glasses by Metzler, said to be synonymous with Morecambe’s sharp wit and comedic persona, were sold alongside his Barling briar pipe and two black-and-white photographs of him wearing the spectacles.

A lifetime of showbiz memorabilia and personal items from the comic’s former home went on sale in January, almost 10 months after the death of his widow, Joan, aged 97.

The identity of the mystery buyer had remained a secret until Williams revealed the five-figure purchase in an Instagram post.

Alongside two pictures of Williams with the glasses and pipe, the former Take That member said he had treated himself to the items before his 51st birthday on Thursday and after undergoing months of promotion work for his semi-autobiographical film, Better Man.

Williams said he had appointed Mike, a member of his team who handles his digital presence, to be “chief bidder” as he was in Los Angeles about to board a plane as the auction got under way.

He said their determination to secure the lot raised to a “primal competitive and irrational” level, joking that he and his wife, Ayda, were willing to spend their children’s inheritance on the bid.

Williams said he cried “happy, childlike tears” when they won. “You see, I guess we all need friends-we-never-meet from off the telly. Eric has always been mine. An uncle of sorts,” he wrote.

“To the very core of me, Eric Morecambe’s spirit has been salve for my soul. How Eric made me feel is how I want to make people feel. What a gift to be able to create such joy and have that joy be present just by thinking of them.”

He said he would consult the comic’s glasses when he had questions and hoped to “maybe get some answers”.

The singer added: “Eric, you were and are the very best of the very best. That sunshine you asked for, you gave to me,” before signing off the post with “Your fan, Robert x”.

Hanson Auctioneers offered Morecambe’s belongings in 700 lots on 10 and 11 January, more than 40 years after the comic died of a heart attack, aged 58, in 1984.