take thatGary Barlow has said he thinks it would be a good thing if former Take That bandmate Robbie Williams came back to the UK.

Robbie has been in self-imposed exile in Los Angeles for the last few years, enjoying relative obscurity in the city compared to life in the UK - but recently bought a new £7million country estate in Wiltshire, suggesting he’s thinking of returning to Britain.

Gary, who had a long standing feud with Robbie after he quit the boyband in 1995, told the Sun: “It’s great news that he’s decided to come back to the UK. I’ve always loved working here and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else - and I’ve been telling Robbie for a while now that he needs to move back.

“I think the time is right for him to come back now. I don’t think the US is the best place for him to be. This is where he thrives and is the best thing he can do for his career.

“He’s got a lot of unfinished business here and he’ll be back to his best in no time if he comes home.”

Earlier this week, Robbie made overtures that he’d one day rejoin the band, enjoying its second wind with a hugely successful comeback - but Gary reiterated that if it happens, it won’t happen straight away: “The band has been having great fun with Robbie over the last few months and we’ve been talking a lot. It’s been really good getting to know him again. He has sorted himself out and is in a really good place at the moment.

“[He] will not be coming on tour with us next year because he’s got his own things to do. But we are not ruling out getting together with him beyond that.”