Williams sees himself in Harry Styles

Robbie Williams says he sees “a lot” of himself in pop sensation Harry Styles, who began his career in boy band One Direction.

Williams found fame as a member of hit boy band Take That before going on to forge a successful solo career after the release of his debut album Life Thru A Lens.

Speaking to friend and presenter Scott Mills in celebration of the album, which features the hit Angels, the 48-year-old was told by Mills he sees similarities between the two performers.

“Absolutely. I see a lot,” Williams said.

“This is inconsequential but the algorithm on my YouTube threw up a video of Harry Styles talking in between songs and what he was talking about was a bit of nonsense, like I talk about, just a bit of banter.

“It was like, I see what he’s doing. He’s trying to fill a space… That stage is massive and it’s a lonely place.

“You’d better throw some shapes or you’re just going to feel awkward.”

During the conversation on BBC Radio, Williams also discussed his initial departure from Take That and the impact on his relationship with former bandmate Gary Barlow.

“I think that I was in the middle of a nervous breakdown, my first of many,” Williams said of leaving the band.

“All the information going into the computer had made the computer overload … So it felt like I was in some sort of burning building and I needed to get out.

“That’s how it felt at the time. Then I was like, ‘okay, I’ll do this tour and then I’ll leave’. And they actually went, ‘Actually, if you’re going to leave, can you go now?'”

Williams left the band, which at the time consisted of Williams, Barlow, Howard Donald, Mark Owen and Jason Orange, in 1995 before temporarily rejoining in 2010.

Williams revealed he later “made sure” there was chart rivalry between himself and Barlow.

“Because that’s what the 90s was about,” he said.

“This is what was happening in my camp – I say my camp, I mean my head – it’s like wrestling or boxing.

“It’s your tribe against their tribe, and my tribe was me and their tribe was Gary Barlow, and I was all up for that kind of conflict because I got some sort of kick from it.

“Unfortunately Gary didn’t feel the same way and he didn’t get a kick from it, because he was a well-rounded grown-up that didn’t need that sort of inflammation in his life. I so badly wanted him to respond but, like I say, he’s a well-rounded grown up.”

Williams said he and Barlow had since repaired their relationship.