Robbie Williams believes he will “ride again” with Take That – but has no plans to rejoin the band on the revival of The Circus Tour this year.
The Angels hitmaker – who quit the boy band in 1995 to embark on a solo career, but has sporadically reunited with them since – hasn’t been on stage with Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald since 2018, when the trio performed Shine and Everything Changes during The X Factor UK final.
And, unfortunately for fans, Robbie has ruled himself out of making an appearance on the 2026 edition of their iconic 2009 jaunt.
Speaking to Scott Mills on The Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, he said of the original Circus Tour: “It’s one of the best, one of the best shows ever.”
The Rock DJ hitmaker said he was “spellbound” when Gary showed him the show and wanted “back in”.
He recalled: “You know, Gaz came round to the house in Los Angeles and he had a copy of the show and he played it [for] me and I just stood, literally stood, didn’t sit, stood and watched it spellbound. Loved it, and I was like, ‘I want back in’. And then the boys are redoing the Circus tour, and it’s a great idea, and, you know, it’s caught everybody’s imaginations, and the tickets are doing incredibly well. And it got me thinking, I was like, ‘maybe I’ll do the Knebworth show.’”
Asked if he would be taking part, he said: “Not right now. I’m sure we will ride again, but it’s not in my plans right now.”
Jason Orange, who left the group in 2014, will also not take part.
The band said in a statement: “The Circus tour was one of our favourite experiences as a band and, in the years since, we’ve talked many times about how much we’d love to do it again one day.
“Well, that time has come! We’re so excited to welcome audiences old and new across the UK and Ireland to the spectacle of The Circus Live next summer. See you out there!”
The original production featured fire breathers, stilt walkers, and a 30-foot mechanical elephant.