Take That's Robbie Williams - in profile

With 57 million album sales and the most expensive contract ever signed by a UK artist under his belt, Robbie Williams is indisputably the biggest star of all the Take That boys.

His cheeky-chappy good looks and reputation as a practical joker drew in the fans, while his ability to belt out catchy, radio-friendly pop anthems made them stay.

At least, until around the time that the rest of the estranged group got back together in 2005, when his career crumbled into little more than a running joke and he started releasing cringeworthy electro-rap.

It all started when Momma Williams spotted an advert in the local newspaper back in 1990 seeking members for a new boy band. Her faith in her boy's talent propelled the young Robster to audition and, after impressing manager Nigel Martin-Smith, he became the youngest member of the band, aged 16.

As the extrovert and prankster, he became a favourite with teen mags like Smash Hits and Shout.

While the majority of their material was written and performed by Gary Barlow, Williams began to take on an increasing role on lead vocals including Could It Be Magic, I Found Heaven, and Everything Changes.

Sadly, the adulation and fame went to his head and he began to get frustrated with having his ideas on performance and music dismissed by Barlow and Martin-Smith.

He began binge drinking and dabbling in cocaine, and in July 1995 he suffered a near-overdose the night before the group was due to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

Tensions rose as he clashed with Barlow over music and Jason Orange over his increasingly belligerent behaviour. It all came to a head when the band confronted him later that year and said they would prefer to tour without him – and he walked.

Take That disbanded on February 13, 1996 – Williams's 22nd birthday. It was a move that shot him into global superstardom.

In the years that followed, he became the best-selling British solo artist in the UK and the best-selling non-Latino artist in Latin America, with six of his albums among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the UK.

He racked up 17 Brit Awards and earned himself a spot in the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004 after being voted the Greatest Artist of the 90s. In 2002 he signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI.

And when the other four decided to give it a second shot in 2005 he turned his nose up, insisting he was "too big" for a band now and would continue as a solo act.

Ironically, that was around the time his career took an unexpected turn for the worse.

The 2006 monstrosity that was Rudebox made it to number one, although it seemed at the time it was probably more down to the dedication of his fans than any musical merit.

Robbie tumbled into depression, drinking to excess, getting hooked on prescription drugs and gaining a good 40lb – perhaps karmic retribution for his cruel Fat Gary jibes at rival Barlow in the early days of the split.

"I know what happened. Rudebox came out, my audience as a whole went 'no' and I went 'but that's what I want to do'," he said last year.

So magnificent was his fall from grace that many a fan of the new-era Take That was instantly suspicious of his return to the fold last year.

It seemed the buddy-buddy show of brotherhood was probably more a desperate bid to relaunch his career – but regardless of whether there's any truth in that, it has done the trick.

Robbie has even announced plans to release yet another solo album at the end of the year, produced by none other than his old enemy Gary with whom he last year duetted on the No2 hit Shame after the pair kissed and made up.

"Gaz is great for me because he knows how I should sound," cooed Robbie this month.

"At the minute, it's just me and him finishing the album, and I love it.

"Before I wander off into the retirement home of the pop world, I'd like to have another fistful of hits to play to people. I believe I've got one last stab at a global success. I want to right some wrongs. Make up for how I've looked and behaved."

Long live the Robster.