ROBBIE Williams has finally put his feud with Take That bandmate Gary Barlow to bed with a public apology at his War Child gig tonight.
During the intimate concert at Manchester‘s Aviva Studios, Robbie took a moment to reflect on the recent Take ThatNetflix documentary.
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Robbie Williams apologised to Gary Barlow during his War Child gig tonightCredit: BackGridGary was affected badly by Robbie’s taunts in the late 90sCredit: Getty
He famously quit the band at the height of their fame in 1995 to pursue a solo career, fed-up of playing second fiddle to the pop group’s leader, Gary.
Years of mud-slinging followed, predominantly from Robbie towards his boyband rival which had a severe impact on Gary’s self-esteem.
Though they quashed their feud for a 2010 reunion tour and album, questions still lingered at just how friendly the pair were.
Today, Robbie did his best to make amends for past behaviours and admitted he was out of order at times to Gary (and Howard Donald and Mark Owen).
“Did anybody see the Take That documentary?,” he asked the audience. “I have to say I was a bit of a ‘c***’ in the second episode. I don’t think anybody has seen a man smugger than Robbie Williams in the second episode.
“And you know what, I felt really bad. I felt f***ing horrible about it. I’d been horrible to Gary, horrible to Mark, horrible to Howard and I was genuinely thinking about it for days and days and days and I’d go to bed at night and I was thinking I’ve gotta apologise again.
“But just to clarify, I f**king love Gary Barlow now. And he loved me. There’s only so many times I can apologise now.”
He then segued into his 90s track Ego A Go Go, written about Gary, calling it a “horrible song”.
Its chorus goes: “Ego a go go now you’ve gone solo/Living on a memory/Now you’ve gone stately/And yes you do hate me/Could you offer an apology.”
Listening to his band rehearse the track on a previous date, Robbie said he had a revelation.
“I was sat there thinking hang on no one has ever left a boyband and gone ‘they’re a c, they’re a c except me’. But I’m a c***,” he said.
In the three-part Netflix docuseries, Gary talks about his struggle withbulimia, which started following Take That’s split in 1996 and his rivalry with Robbie.
Taunts from Robbie are replayed during, with footage showing him saying: “My problem always was with Gary, I wanted to crush him.
“I wanted to crush the memory of the band and I didn’t let go. Even when he was down I didn’t let go.”
Speaking at the premiere at Battersea Power Station, Gary admitted it was tough to watch.
He said: “It’s a narrative I haven’t thought about for years and years.
“When we had our reunion we spent a lot of time talking about it and I remember leaving on one particular day and we’d discussed everything. And I remember leaving and my shoulders were light.
“And I’d not thought about it since because I’d not needed to. And it brought it all back. Tricky times, they were.”
As well as the tough times, Take That fans get a front seat to the inner workings of the group’s comeback with Robbie in 2011.
Opening up about healing their old wounds, Robbie said: “I needed Gary to listen to my truth.”
Gary continued: “There were things around people not being supportive of his songwriting and his weight.
“I’d called him Blobby rather than Robbie one day, which I shouldn’t have done.
“Then I hit him with things he had done to me that I didn’t like.
“In about 25 minutes we’d put things to bed that had haunted us for years.”
The Take That boys are on good terms nowCredit: GettyIn the early 90s, Robbie grew frustrated playing second fiddle to GaryCredit: Getty
Former Manchester United and England footballer Gary Neville has returned to BBC One’s Dragons’ Den as a guest investor, judging entrepeneurs to see if he wants to back their business
Gary Neville’s co-star has revealed what he is like on Dragons’ Den(Image: BBC)
While Gary is best known for his talent as a Manchester United and England defender, he built up an extensive property portfolio during his career. The BBC says he spearheads the £450m St. Michael’s development in Manchester after securing over £200m of overseas investment.
He said: “This gentleman here is the biggest softie when it comes to investment. Thank god he has only been a guest, if he was there full time he’d need a printing machine, he’d invest in everything.”
Touker went on to joke that Gary likes to share a bit of “Mancunian help” with the guests as they make their pitches. Gary replied: “Honestly, people come in and if I like them, I think, ‘Oh they deserve a little bit of Mancunion love’ and just give them a little bit of investment.
“I have to say, when they walk through the door, how nervous they must be, but when I’m looking at them I’m thinking, ‘I’m glad I’m not stood where you are’.”
Gary went on to explain that Touker “drills” the contestants over their finances almost straight away before fellow dragons Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones join in. He added: “You have to be quite resilient when you come through the doors.”
The Manchester-born footballer explained he has “sympathy” for the contestants after they exit the famous Dragons’ Den lift. He admits he even gets “a little bit nervous” when he is confronted by the dragons.
He added: “Them coming through facing you, Deborah, Peter, Steven [Bartlett], they must be terrified.”
Touker however explained he likes to be cautious when investing on the show. He said: “If you’re investing your hard-earned cash, you can’t just give it away, and some people like to pull the wool over your eyes.”
He went on to explain that the “most important thing” he looks for when investing on the show is a business that he can help improve. Gary will be returning to Dragons’ Den from 8pm tonight on BBC One.
This week’s pitches will include a business offering skincare made from rescued food, a device that keeps your golf balls spotless, an app that can help with your mortgage and spicy seasoning balls.
This series will see a host of guest dragons joining the panel of investors. As well as Gary, rapper Tinie Tempah, serial entrepreneur and REFY CEO Jenna Meek, and Tropic Skincare powerhouse Susie Ma will be judging investments.
Tinie said: “I have a keen interest in supporting emerging entrepreneurs as well as investing in a wide-ranging portfolio of businesses, so Dragons’ Den was an opportunity I simply couldn’t turn down.
“I am ecstatic to become a guest dragon and look forward to seeing where I can help, bring value and of course invest in some of these brilliant businesses and people that step into the Den.”
Samantha Davies, Executive Producer, BBC Studios Entertainment said of the guest dragons: “Audiences love the powerful combination of our much-loved regular dragons and the fresh energy guest dragons bring to the Den – and this series, we’re going bigger than ever.
“We’re thrilled to welcome back Gary, alongside three formidable new business titans, all ready to uncover the next generation of bold, brilliant and disruptive entrepreneurs. There’s no better place to ignite that ambition than right here in the Den!”
Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter. When you read this, I will hopefully be lying on a beach somewhere on Maui. Which means the Times of Troy will be taking a brief break next week. A tanner — read: redder — version of me will be back and recharged the following Monday. With the whole family coming and three kids under three in the mix, though, hopes of reaching peak relaxation may be slim!
But before I’m off, let’s dive a little deeper into the defense that the Trojans’ new defensive coordinator, Gary Patterson, plans to bring with him to USC.
Fight on! Are you a true Trojans fan?
In the 1997 edition of the American Football Coaches Assn.’s annual Summer Manual, Patterson, then just 37 and in his second year as New Mexico’s defensive coordinator, laid out his vision for the scheme that later became his calling card.
The 4-2-5, at that time, was unique in college football. The spread offense was just starting to take root, and Patterson wanted a scheme built to stop it. What he designed, it turns out, would still stand up almost three decades later.
That’s primarily because Patterson’s defense was built specifically to be adaptable, year to year, week to week, even play to play.
“Defenses must have enough flexibility in their scheme to limit offenses in their play selection, but be simple enough to be good at what they do,” Patterson wrote in 1997. “During a game we must look like we do a lot, but only do enough to take away what offenses do best.”
Patterson’s scheme has evolved plenty since then. But the principles remain the same. At its most basic level, the scheme uses four down linemen, two linebackers and a “five-spoke secondary” that utilizes three safeties (strong, weak and free). The safeties, in Patterson’s defense, are the glue that binds the scheme together. At any point, two of the three can walk up — to defend the run, for instance — and the look becomes more of a 4-4 defense. Or one can move up for a 4-3 look. It all depends on the offense’s personnel and tendencies.
“He’s going to scout you until his eyeballs come out,” former Texas coach Tom Herman said back in 2018.
The ability of Patterson’s defense to adapt on the fly to fit the situation makes it difficult to exploit. The idea, as Patterson sees it, is to confuse the offense as much as possible, both at the line of scrimmage and in the defensive backfield.
That’s not a revolutionary concept. What makes his approach especially distinctive is that every play includes two separate calls on defense, one for the front six and another for the secondary. The secondary is actually split into two as well, allowing Patterson to have each side playing different coverages, if he so desired. Meaning on any given play, one cornerback might be in man coverage while the other is in zone.
Sounds complicated, right? Well, that’s the idea.
“At first, I thought, ‘Man, it’s gonna be hard,’” said David Bailiff, who was Patterson’s first defensive coordinator at Texas Christian. “But it’s like algebra. When you get it, it’s a piece of cake. And he’s a great teacher of it, too.”
How his defense might look at USC is still to be determined. As of last week, Patterson was still learning his new players’ names, let alone understanding how to use their skillsets. But he said last week that he expects to “add to what we do” at USC now that he can get bigger, faster and stronger athletes on the field than he had at TCU.
He’d initially conceived of the 4-2-5 to account for a talent disparity at New Mexico and TCU, where Patterson only cracked the top 20 in recruiting class rankings once in two decades as coach. At USC, though, that won’t be a problem. Which begs the question: What might Patterson’s defense look like with a host of four- and five-stars at his disposal?
“The better the athlete we have, the more an offense must contend with our individual ability, plus the multiplicity of the scheme,” Patterson wrote in 1997. “We want offenses to guess what they should spend most of their time working on. Our job is to find out what their answer is.”
Patterson hasn’t led a defense since 2021. But as he sets out to install his scheme in the coming months at USC, the hope is that it’s the answer to what’s been missing through four years of Lincoln Riley.
Way-too-early game-by-game prediction for 2026
The Big Ten rolled out its schedule for 2026, and USC’s slate is just as challenging as we expected. There are way too many questions still to be answered to have any real idea how the season might shake out for the Trojans. But as a thought exercise, why not give it a go, anyway?
Aug. 29 vs. TBD: USC hasn’t finalized who will fit into this slot (more on that below), but whoever it winds up being won’t stand a chance of upending the Trojans in their season opener.
Sept. 5 vs. Fresno State: The Bulldogs were no pushover in Year 1 under Matt Entz, who traded his post as USC’s linebackers coach for Fresno. But USC has too much firepower.
Sept. 12 vs. Louisiana: The Ragin’ Cajuns have one of the best nicknames in college football. And that’s where their advantages over USC stop.
Sept. 19 at Rutgers: Traveling as far east as possible for a Big Ten opener isn’t ideal, and I could see USC opening a bit rusty. The Trojans still roll.
Sept. 26 vs. Oregon: Here’s where things get interesting. It will have been almost a decade since USC last beat the Ducks when they meet this fall in the Trojans’ conference home opener. Dante Moore is back, but I think this game will be more evenly matched in 2026. My instinct says it’s a loss, but I reserve the right to change later.
Oct. 3 vs. Washington: This is a tricky one, especially right after the Oregon matchup. Husky quarterback Demond Williams is the real deal, even if he did try to bail for LSU in the offseason. That shouldn’t be an issue when he hits the field. Especially since the defense backing him up could be among the best in the nation. USC barely escapes with a win in this first simulation.
Oct. 10 at Penn State: Woof. USC travels to State College at the end of a three-game gauntlet that could decide its season. We don’t know much about the Nittany Lions yet, but I believe in Matt Campbell, and playing at Beaver Stadium — and probably in a White Out game — is no joke. Another toss-up, but if USC’s beat-up at all by this point, it could struggle.
Oct. 24 at Wisconsin: Camp Randall is one of college football’s best venues, but the Badgers won’t be able to keep up with USC.
Oct. 31 vs. Ohio State:Halloween at the Coliseum delivers USC’s most frightening matchup of 2026. My guess — and I’m going out on a limb here — the Buckeyes will be dominant again. If USC can score a win here, making the Playoff should be a foregone conclusion.
Nov. 14 at Indiana: The defending champs may look a lot different next season, but I still trust Curt Cignetti to get it done. Especially at home. USC starts 3-4 in the Big Ten.
Nov. 21 vs. Maryland: The loss to Maryland two years ago was one of the worst in my tenure on the USC beat. The Terps are better now, but I don’t see USC slipping up again.
Nov. 28 at UCLA: It’s impossible to say what UCLA will look like in the fall, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Bob Chesney has them competing right away. For now, I’ll stick with USC as my crosstown winner.
Final record: 8-4.
USC will need to reach 10 wins to make the College Football Playoff. But it might be an uphill climb just to reach nine. USC will need to win at least one of its matchups against Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State, then also survive toss-up games against Penn State and Washington.
Zachariah Branch helped USC defeat San Jose State 56-28 in 2023.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
—USC has just 11 games scheduled for 2026. What’s going on with that 12th game? With Notre Dame and USC unable to reach a deal to extend their rivalry, USC still has one slot left to fill in its 2026 non-conference slate. That open game will be played at the Coliseum, during Week Zero on Aug. 29 because by opting to play in Week Zero, USC will get the privilege of a second bye during the season, where other Big Ten schools only have one. The problem is playing that early requires an exemption from the NCAA. So if USC intends to play the game at home, that means its only path to playing in Week Zero is to find a team that’s also playing at Hawaii. Any team playing Hawaii is allowed an exemption to play a 13th game in its season. Very few teams fit that criteria and still have an opening in Week Zero. But one makes the most sense, and it’s an opponent that USC opened the season against not that long ago: San Jose State. Don’t be surprised to see the Spartans come to the Coliseum again for the season opener in August 2026.
—Gary Patterson is bringing at least one defensive assistant of his choice to USC. Paul Gonzales, who spent last season as Baylor’s defensive pass-game coordinator, will be the Trojans’ defensive backs coach, taking the place of Doug Belk. Gonzales worked closely with Patterson from 2013 through his 2021 exit at Texas Christian, where he worked with cornerbacks and safeties. USC already has a cornerbacks coach in Trovon Reed. So we can assume that Gonzales will work with the safeties, which are critical in Patterson’s scheme.
—Defensive line coach Shaun Nua and offensive line coach Zach Hanson are staying put. Both had opportunities to leave USC after the season and ultimately opted to stay. Keeping Hanson is especially significant. The Trojans’ standout offensive line coach was in the mix to become an offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Kansas State, where his close friend, Collin Klein, is now the head coach. Yet Hanson still opted to stay, which I think is telling.
—The USC women’s win over No. 8 Iowa might have saved the season. Hopes of a postseason run were looking a bit bleak for USC before last Thursday night’s impressive home upset of the Hawkeyes. But the Trojans are now up to 20th in the NET rankings, with three Quad 1 wins, while a softer part of the schedule approaches. USC still can’t afford to drop too many of its nine remaining games, but the Iowa win is a sigh of relief on that front.
—New Dedeaux Field is still under construction. And will be when USC’s baseball season opens against Pepperdine on Feb. 13. That shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to playing actual baseball games. But the baseball offices, press box and concession stands aren’t finished yet (though, there will be temporary options). As such, baseball games will be free to fans this season. But USC not being able to deliver on the amenities that were promised by the time the stadium opens is a big miss for a baseball program that deserves more respect and could’ve used a boost in fan support. USC chose to prioritize finishing the football facility. Most schools probably would have done the same. For what it’s worth, Andy Stankiewicz, who just led the Trojans to their first NCAA tournament in a decade, has been very understanding of the whole situation.
Olympic sports spotlight
Freshman Max Exsted has been with USC’s men’s tennis program for just a few weeks, but he’s already made quite an impression. The mid-year addition from Minnesota has already won Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice in the first three weeks of the season.
That’s a great sign for a men’s tennis program that must replace an ITA All-American and All-Big Ten player in Peter Makk. The Trojans are 4-3 to start this season under seventh-year coach Brett Masi, whose contract was extended through 2028 in October as part of USC’s wider efforts to lock up its reliable Olympic sports coaches long term.
USC has made the NCAA tournament in four of six seasons under Masi. The expectation should be that that continues this year.
Times of Troy survey results
We asked,”How do you feel about the Gary Patterson hire?”
The results, after 414 votes
Cautiously optimistic it could work, 69.6% Thrilled! We got a Hall of Famer!, 16.8% Mildly concerned it will fail, 8.9% Convinced this will be a disaster, 4.7%
The mystery thriller genre has really hit a stride recently, with shows like “All Her Fault,” “Beast in Me” and “Task” all getting mentions in this space over the last several months. I don’t think “His & Hers” belongs in that group of standouts, but I’m willing to see it through.
That’s mostly on account of the always-charming Tessa Thompson, who plays a former TV anchor drawn back into an investigation when a murder takes place in her small Georgia hometown. Her estranged husband, played by Jon Bernthal, just happens to be the detective assigned to the case. Both are under serious suspicion right from the jump.
There’s high off-the-rails potential here, as tends to be the case with Netflix thrillers. But it’s also an easy binge, and now that I’ve watched a few episodes, I need to know where this mystery goes.
Until next time …
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
