Robbie Williams Apologises For Comments Towards Gary Barlow In Netflix Documentary

10 November 2023 | 12:39 pm | Mary Varvaris

"I suppose a lot of me resented him."

Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow (Take That)

Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow (Take That) (Credit: Leo Baron, Jackie Jethon)

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In his new Netflix documentary, Robbie Williams has apologised to his former Take That bandmate, Gary Barlow.

The new Netflix documentary series Robbie Williams explores different periods of the singer’s life, including experiences with drugs and alcohol, a diagnosis of depression, and, of course, how he felt towards his bandmates in the group Take That.

Having joined the band at just 16 years old and leaving at 21, Williams openly discussed his resentment towards Barlow and apologised for comments he previously made.

“When I turned about 19, I started to have a long, hard think about what was happening. Too many interviews, too many performances, so many countries to visit and then repeat it,” Williams admitted to the documentary director, Joe Pearlman.

Williams continued, “Take That's fandom was obsessive. It was intense! On top of that, there was an assurance about Gaz [Gary Barlow] and his ability mixed with a coldness.

“And it seemed like there was one person being managed in Take That, and it was Gary Barlow. It was all geared around him, and as a young person, I would've been jealous of that. I suppose a lot of me resented him.”

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Also, in the episode, the Feel singer watched footage of himself on stage and addressing the audience: “There's somebody booing me down here that actually likes Gary Barlow. He's not selling any more records now, girls! Let's face it, he's dead.”

After witnessing the footage, Williams said, “I'm sorry that I treated Gary like that.”

The current members of Take That don’t appear in the Netflix series but are one of the focal focuses of episodes one and four. Check out a trailer for the series - which landed on Netflix on Wednesday - below.

Robbie Williams will return to Australia this month in support of his latest album, XXV and celebrate 25 years as a solo artist.

The Robbie Williams XXV tour will see the entertainer play a set full of his greatest hits and audience favourites at a series of A Day On The Green shows, as well as perform two enormous stadium concerts in Sydney and Melbourne. 

The stadium gigs will take place in Sydney at the newly renovated Allianz Stadium on Thursday, 16 November and in Melbourne at AAMI Park on Thursday, 23 November.

Williams will also play A Day On The Green events at Sirromet Wines in Mount Cotton, Queensland on 18 November, and Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong in regional Victoria on 25 November, before traversing the country to make his Swan Valley, WA debut at Nikola Estate on 1 December.