Robbie Williams has publicly apologised to his former Take That bandmate Gary Barlow during a War Child gig at Manchester's Aviva Studios, bringing an end to their decades-long feud. The apology came after Williams reflected on the new Netflix documentary series that examined their rivalry.
Addressing the audience, Williams said: '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 added that he felt 'f------g horrible' about his past behaviour towards Barlow, as well as bandmates Mark Owen and Howard Donald.
Williams, who left Take That in 1995 and launched a successful solo career, had previously mocked Barlow publicly, once vowing to 'crush' him. Barlow later admitted the feud severely affected his self-esteem, keeping him housebound for 13 months. The pair reconciled in 2010 when Williams rejoined the band for the Progress album, and they released the duet 'Shame' about their broken relationship.
In the documentary, Barlow recalled the competitive nature of their feud, noting that after Williams released a George Michael cover, Barlow's single 'Forever Love' went to number one while Williams's 'Freedom' reached number two. However, Williams's subsequent hit 'Angels' cemented his solo success, with Barlow acknowledging it as 'a great song'.
At the gig, Williams declared: 'I f-----g love Gary Barlow now. And he loved me. There's only so many times I can apologise now.'
