Netflix Documentary Lifts Lid on Take That's Explosive Internal Rift
A new three-part documentary series on Netflix has pulled back the curtain on one of British pop music's most enduring and bitter rivalries. The self-titled Take That documentary provides an unprecedented look at the band's dramatic history, with a particular focus on the devastating fallout and feud that erupted between Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams following the group's initial split.
Unseen Footage Charts the Path to Conflict
The factual series, packed with decades of previously unseen archive material and fresh interviews with band members including Jason Orange, meticulously records the band's meteoric rise and the catastrophic impact of their 1996 separation. One of the most significant consequences was the intense personal and professional rivalry that ignited between chief songwriter Gary Barlow and the first member to depart, Robbie Williams.
The documentary pinpoints the moment the relationship turned toxic. Following the split, both artists launched competing solo careers. Gary Barlow is heard reflecting in the film, stating, "This is where the Gary and Robbie stuff started, Robbie was feeding off the press a bit. He'd become friends with some of the press." A clip from a contemporary press conference shows Robbie being asked his opinion of Gary's new single.
Robbie's response was brutally dismissive: "I'd love to say it's not my cup of tea but it's alright, but in fact, it's awful." Gary Barlow recalls this as the tipping point, explaining, "That's when it got nasty and it was just not needed." The hostility was further underscored when Robbie was provocatively asked if he would urinate on Gary if he were on fire, to which he cryptically replied, "That would be left between me and Gary." Gary admits this was the first time he felt genuine negativity from his former friend.
A War of Words Played Out in Public
The feud quickly escalated into a very public slanging match. In an unearthed interview, a baffled Gary Barlow shares, "I don't understand it at all, I don't understand how someone can sit there after being so close to people for so long and to say the things he does. I think it's Rob's way of staying famous." Journalists fuelled the fire, with one informing Robbie that Gary had reportedly called him a "d*******".
Gary continued his critique in the old footage, taking a swipe at Robbie's songwriting: "Let's face it, Robbie is ten times more popular than me, he always will be I'm sure, but let's hear these songs that are easy to write. I'm dying to hear them." The documentary suggests Robbie then deliberately chose to cover a George Michael song for one of his first solo releases, fully aware that Gary Barlow aspired to be seen as the natural successor to the iconic singer.
Archive footage features a journalist observing, "Everything Robbie has been doing really is sort of trying to railroad Gary and kind of shove him off." Gary Barlow, reflecting from the present day, confirms the intense competition: "That's when it became really competitive. We were both trying to do the same thing and you know, only one person can win." This battle was crystallised in the charts when Gary's Forever Love debuted at number one, narrowly beating Robbie's Freedom at number two.
The Turning Point and Eventual Thaw
The documentary reveals Robbie Williams's career was initially floundering post-Take That. He is heard admitting, "I had been in a band that had sold 20 million albums and my album was doing terribly. Angels was probably my last hope of getting my footholding on any sort of career." The subsequent monumental success of Angels proved to be the turning point. Even Gary Barlow concedes in the film, "It's a great song, once he had that song, that was it."
The series also touches on the eventual reconciliation between the two stars, showing how, over many years, they managed to settle their profound differences. The Take That documentary on Netflix offers a definitive and raw account of how friendship disintegrated into fierce rivalry, providing fans with the full, unvarnished story behind the headlines.
