Netflix's Robbie Williams documentary shows the pop icon like you have never seen before, with over 30,000 hours of archived footage of his career from Take That fame to international acclaim.

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Williams was just 16 years old when he joined Take That, leaving the band five years later at 21 years old. In the first episode of the self-titled documentary, Williams watches various footage of his time in the band, from obsessive fans to clashes with bandmates.

Over the years there has been speculation that Take That bandmates Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow were embroiled in a bitter feud, and while that isn't wholly acknowledged in the new documentary, Williams openly apologises to Barlow for things said in his career.

Talking to director Joe Pearlman about his disagreements with his bandmates, Williams said: "When I turned about 19 I started to have a long, hard think about what was happening. Too many interviews, too many performances, so many countries to visit and then repeat it.

"Take That's fandom was obsessive. It was intense! On top of that there was an assurance about Gaz (Gary Barlow) and his ability mixed with a coldness.

"And it seemed like there was one person being managed in Take That, and it was Gary Barlow. It was all geared around him and as a young person, I would've been jealous of that. I suppose a lot of me resented him."

Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams. Netflix

The 49-year-old acknowledged that at such an "early age" he wasn't "adept with the dynamics in the band", admitting it was at that point "the wheels came off" for him.

Later in the first episode, the documentary cuts to Williams watching a video of him performing on stage, to which he tells the crowd: "There's somebody booing me down here that actually likes Gary Barlow. He's not selling any more records now, girls! Let's face it, he's dead."

While lying next to his daughter, who floats in and out of the documentary, Williams says: "I'm sorry that I treated Gary like that."

None of the Take That bandmates feature in the documentary, but the band is the partial focus of episodes 1 and 4, from Williams joining and leaving the band to him reuniting with them in 2010.

Robbie Williams is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.

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Authors

Katelyn MensahEntertainment and Factual Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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