Take That is one of the most successful British boy bands of all time, alongside bands like One Direction and BoyZone. The group formed in Manchester in 1990 and consisted of members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams.
While the group has sold over 30 million records worldwide and won multiple Brit Awards, they are largely unknown in the United States. But the band’s early hits, including “Could It Be Magic?” and “Pray,” helped establish them as a force in the music industry.
Despite the many lineup changes and controversies, the band remains one of the most beloved musical acts today. One consistent story was Robbie Williams and his many departures from the band.
Updated January 2025: On the heels of the release of Better Man, the biopic about Robbie Williams’ life, the relationship between Robbie and his former Take That bandmates has been under scrutiny. The long, complicated history between the musicians shows no signs of letting up, as no members of Take That have commented on the film.
The History Of Robbie Williams And Take That
The ’90s boy band Take That played a pivotal role in launching Robbie Williams’ career. Robbie, who joined the band at age 16 in 1990, quickly became a fan favorite and provided lead vocals for some of Take That’s earliest hits.
Robbie began enjoying the pitfalls of fame, and often made headlines for outlandish behavior. He was also suffering from substance abuse issues. In July 1995, Robbie shocked fans by announcing his departure from the band, which caused a media frenzy and immense disappointment among fans.
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Take That would disband in February 1996 before reuniting as a quartet, without Robbie, in 2005. Following his departure, Robbie shot to meteoric heights as a solo act, becoming one of the world’s biggest stars, and sparking a rivalry with his former bandmates, whose career didn’t seem to rise to the level of Robbie’s.
But, in 2010, Robbie rejoined Take That for a brief period before leaving again in 2012.
Why Robbie Williams Left Take That In 2012
Robbie announced his departure from Take That in 2012 after rejoining the band in 2010. This announcement seemed more amicable than when he first left in 1995.
The announcement has come as a shock to many fans, and speculation as to the reasons behind his departure has been rife. He claimed he left to, once again, focus on his solo career. This time, Robbie’s departure was more amicable than the first time.
Why Robbie Williams Was Fired From Take That In 1995
The BBC Sounds program, titled Robbie Williams: My Life Thru a Lens, had Robbie explaining his first departure from the popular group.
“I think that I was in the middle of a nervous breakdown, my first of many,” Robbie explained to DJ Scott Mills. He described it as a “computer overload,” saying, “All the information going into the computer had made the computer overload. Things weren’t great at home, things weren’t great with my job, and then I was new to this phenomenon of extreme fame.”
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He continued: “[I was] doing my GCSEs, which I failed at, to then all of a sudden being in Japan and having 3,000 fans outside and then that being the case everywhere that we go. It was unsafe, and it was surreal, and that, mixed with what I was ingesting to cope with my life and the way that my body and mind reacts to it, didn’t mix well.”
Robbie struggled with alcohol and drug abuse, and he said that played a part in his firing. “So it felt like I was in some sort of burning building, and I needed to get out. That’s how it felt at the time. And then I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll do this tour, and then I’ll leave.’ And they actually went, ‘Actually, if you’re going to leave, can you go now?'”
Would Take That Ever Reunite with Robbie Williams?
Robbie Williams has revealed that a potential Take That reunion hinges on the response of his former bandmates to Better Man, a biopic about Robbie directed by Michael Gracey, the director behind The Greatest Showman.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Robbie explained that his complicated relationship with his former bandmates could impact the possibility of a reunion.
“We have a very complicated relationship, me and the boys. A loving and jovial relationship, but I will always be the youngest, the runt of the litter,” Robbie, who is married to wife Ayda Field and lives in Los Angeles, said.
He also explained that the biopic, in which he is portrayed as a CGI monkey and which covers his life from 2010 to 2022, includes some uncomfortable truths that could affect the possibility of a reunion.
Robbie Williams and wife Ayda Field have four children: Teddy, 11, Charlie, 9, Coco, 5 and Beau, 3.
The pop star said, “What I don’t want to do is open up old wounds, but I also don’t want to restrict myself from a truth that was mine of its time.” He continued, “I can’t be the only c*** in the film. If I rewrite everybody to be lovely, then I’m the only arsehole, and I can’t be having that.”
While a Take That reunion may still be some way off, Robbie’s comments have reignited speculation among fans of the band. In 2024, Robbie claimed that Gary Barlow wasn’t pleased with his portrayal in another documentary, the BBC’s Boybands Forever.
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As the Daily Mail reported, “Sharing his opinion, Robbie said he was happy with how he was portrayed but the film made Gary look ‘arrogant’ even though he was ‘joking’. Speaking to The Face, Robbie said: ‘Yeah, I thought it was really well done. I was happy that they didn’t stitch me up. But, there was a bit where I think Gaz got stitched up. ‘[In the old footage] Gaz is doing a mock bravado bit, talking about being, ‘The big star in my village, people knew that I was going to go on to do things’.”
There has been no word on Gary’s reaction to Better Man, which is receiving rave reviews worldwide.
Whether or not a reunion ultimately takes place, Robbie’s legacy as one of the most iconic British pop stars of all time is secure.
