Robbie Williams has apologised to Gary Barlow ‘a million times’ after watching Take That documentary

Robbie Williams recently offered a candid reflection on his past, describing himself as "the smuggest person that ever lived" during the height of his fame with Take That. The pop superstar made the admission during a performance at the O2 Academy Brixton on Sunday night, part of a limited run of shows for his Long 90s Tour.

The 51-year-old singer treated the audience to tracks from his debut solo album Life Thru A Lens and his most recent record, Britpop. Kicking off the show with “Lazy Days”, he then delivered a string of hit songs including “Let Me Entertain You”, “Angels”, “All My Life”, and “Morrissey”.

Before performing “Ego a Go Go”, which he revealed was inspired by his former Take That bandmate Gary Barlow, Williams referenced the boyband's recently released documentary. He confessed: "What an a**hole I am in episode two. The smuggest person that has ever lived in the world. Gary Barlow was supposed to be mean but I am f***ing mean. A horrible d**khead I was."

Williams added that he has since apologised to Barlow "a million times," concluding: "It’s not nice now but it was f***ing fun at the time".

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The packed crowd enthusiastically joined in for Angels, prompting Williams to express profound gratitude for their unwavering support.

He likened their loyalty to that of a favourite football team, reflecting on his improbable career trajectory: "What I managed to do is stretch, with my career, an elastic band from Stoke-on-Trent to the moon. It feels like the simulation theory might be real. It feels like The Matrix may exist, because I’m not supposed to be here with 16 number one albums. At some point in these 36 years, you guys decided that I am your football team. And I f***ing love being your football team. Thank you very f***ing much."

Despite his ability to fill vast arenas, Williams opted for more intimate venues for this tour, which began in Glasgow and included a stop in Liverpool before Brixton.

The tour is set to conclude at Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall. His 13th studio album, Britpop, released in January, quickly became his 16th solo chart-topper, cementing his status as the artist with the most number one albums in the UK, surpassing The Beatles.

The album features collaborations with notable artists such as Chris Martin, Gaz Coombes, Tony Iommi, and Gary Barlow.

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Williams, who rose to fame with Take That before embarking on his hugely successful solo career, has recently been the subject of a 2023 Netflix documentary detailing his struggles with addiction and mental health.

A biopic, Better Man, in which he is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee, was released a year later, reflecting his feeling of being a "performing monkey."

His extensive catalogue of chart-topping albums also includes I’ve Been Expecting You, Sing When You’re Winning, Escapology, Intensive Care, and Rudebox.