Robbie Williams publicly reconciled with former Take That bandmate Gary Barlow during a War Child concert at Manchester’s Aviva Studios. In an intimate performance, he reflected on the recent Take That Netflix documentary and issued a heartfelt apology for his past behavior.
Apology During the Gig
Williams, who left the band in 1995 amid tensions over playing second fiddle to Barlow, addressed the crowd directly. “Did anybody see the Take That documentary?” he asked. “I have to say I was a bit of a ‘c***’ in the second episode. I don’t think anybody has seen a man smugger than Robbie Williams in the second episode.”
He continued, expressing deep remorse: “And you know what, I felt really bad. I felt f***ing horrible about it. I’d been horrible to Gary, horrible to Mark, horrible to Howard and I was genuinely thinking about it for days and days and days and I’d go to bed at night and I was thinking I’ve gotta apologise again.”
Williams clarified his current feelings: “But just to clarify, I f**king love Gary Barlow now. And he loved me. There’s only so many times I can apologise now.”
Performing ‘Ego A Go Go’
Transitioning into his 1990s track Ego A Go Go, originally written about Barlow, Williams described it as a “horrible song.” The chorus includes: “Ego a go go now you’ve gone solo/Living on a memory/Now you’ve gone stately/And yes you do hate me/Could you offer an apology.”
Reflecting on rehearsals, he shared a realization: “I was sat there thinking hang on no one has ever left a boyband and gone ‘they’re a c***, they’re a c*** except me’. But I’m a c***.”
Insights from the Netflix Documentary
The three-part series highlights Barlow’s battle with bulimia following Take That’s 1996 split and rivalry with Williams. Archival footage replays Williams’ taunts: “My problem always was with Gary, I wanted to crush him. I wanted to crush the memory of the band and I didn’t let go. Even when he was down I didn’t let go.”
At the Battersea Power Station premiere, Barlow described watching it as challenging: “It’s a narrative I haven’t thought about for years and years. When we had our reunion we spent a lot of time talking about it and I remember leaving on one particular day and we’d discussed everything. And I remember leaving and my shoulders were light. And I’d not thought about it since because I’d not needed to. And it brought it all back. Tricky times, they were.”
Path to Reconciliation
Despite a 2010 reunion tour and album, doubts about their friendship persisted. The documentary offers fans a glimpse into their 2011 comeback. Williams noted, “I needed Gary to listen to my truth.”
Barlow added context on mutual grievances: “There were things around people not being supportive of his songwriting and his weight. I’d called him Blobby rather than Robbie one day, which I shouldn’t have done. Then I hit him with things he had done to me that I didn’t like. In about 25 minutes we’d put things to bed that had haunted us for years.”
