Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Better Man!

Better Man spends a lot of its runtime focusing on Robbie Williams’ time in Take That, and here is what happened to the popular British boy band after he left. Although Robbie Williams is now more famous as an independent artist, he got his start in the world of music as a member of the five-person group Take That, which he stayed part of for several years. As Better Man shows, Robbie Williams eventually left the group, although Take That has a lot more history that what Better Man showed.

Better Man is one of the most unique musical biopics ever made, with it telling the mostly true story of Robbie Williams with a twist: he is played by a CGI monkey. However, Robbie Williams’ status as an anthropomorphic monkey is entirely thematic, with it never being addressed by the characters in the film. In Better Man, Robbie Williams’ ape form does not hold him back from finding success, with it all starting with his time in the boy band Take That. Although Williams eventually left the band, here’s what happened to Take That after Williams departed.

Take That Broke Up Less Than A Year After Robbie Williams’ Departure

They Didn’t Last Long

Better Man explores the story of Take That up until Robbie Williams’ departure, with Williams’ decision to leave the band being portrayed fairly accurately. As the film shows, Robbie Williams’ increasing drug abuse became a problem for the band, with him nearly overdosing in 1994 before a performance. Thus, the other four members of Take That decided to give Williams an ultimatum in June 1995, with him having to either become more responsible or having to leave the band. As Better Man shows, Williams chose the latter.

This came right before Take That’s planned world tour, as well as right on the heels of the band’s third studio album, Nobody Else. The band continued to perform with only the four members, with them releasing more music and completing the Nobody Else Tour later in 1995. However, the tour cemented the end of Take That’s time together, with them soon after deciding that it was time for Take That to disband.

In February 1996, Take That officially announced that they would be breaking up. While Take That did have a few more songs coming down the pipe as well as a Greatest Hits album, Take That’s announcement sent shockwaves throughout the boy band fandom. As Better Man explains, fans of Take That threatened suicide after the announcement, which was shocking for the members of the band. However, this didn’t change anything, with Take That remaining broken up for nearly a decade.

Take That Reunited In 2005 Without Robbie Williams

But The Four Other Members Were There

In 2005, nine years after Take That had officially announced that they were breaking up, things began to change. 2005 saw the release of a compilation album called Never Forget – The Ultimate Collection, with this being a mᴀssive hit on the UK charts. This album reignited interest in Take That, with the band getting the opportunity to come back together for an ITV1 documentary тιтled Take That: For the Record in November of that year. Although Robbie Williams was not involved, the rest of Take That’s four members decided to reform the band for the first time.

In November 2005, it was announced that Take That would be going on tour the following year, with The Ultimate Tour running from April to June 2006. This made Take That incredibly popular again, with several other popular bands and musicians joining Take That throughout their tour. In May 2006, the new Take That signed with Polydor Records, with them making a deal to record more music. 2006’s Beautiful World was Take That’s comeback album, with it being the band’s first album in 11 years, following up on Nobody Else.

The reformed Take That made some changes with Beautiful World, with all four of the members getting the opportunity to sing lead vocals as well as getting co-writing credits. The band continued performing and releasing singles, with Take That’s fifth studio album The Circus releasing in 2008. Take That went on more tours, performed on The X Factor, and continued finding major success for the next few years. However, everything changed in 2010.

Robbie Williams Rejoined Take That In 2010

After Over A Decade Gone

After leaving Take That in 1995, Robbie Williams shocked the world when he announced that he would be rejoining the band in 2010. Before the announcement, Williams had been working on the band with new music, resulting in the release of Take That’s sixth studio album, 2010’s Progress. The album was a hit, with it leading to another Take That tour known as Progress Live. Progress sold 235,000 copies in one day, making it the fastest-selling album of the century. Take That then released more singles, did more performances, and even sang at the 2012 Summer Olympics’ closing ceremony.

Take That’s last ever performance as a five-piece band came in November 2012, with them singing “Never Forget” at the Music Industry Trust Awards. Williams had his second child soon after, leading him to not return for Take That’s subsequent albums. He continued focusing on his solo work, although he has collaborated with various members of Take That since his second departure from the band.

Take That Is Still Active Now But With A Smaller Lineup

Only Three Original Members Remain

As of the writing of this article, Take That is still active. However, the band does have a smaller lineup. The remaining four members continued to work together after Williams’ departure, although not for long. Jason Orange announced that he would be leaving Take That in September 2014. However, Take That continued to perform without replacing Williams or Orange, meaning that the band is now a three-piece. Their first song as a three-piece was “These Days,” and they have continued releasing music ever since.

Take That has continued to perform, release singles, and release albums throughout the years, with them still being active to this day. Although Williams and Orange have yet to return to the band, Take That still maintains its popularity as a three-piece. In August 2024, Netflix announced that it was developing a behind-the-scenes documentary about Take That, meaning that Robbie Williams’ Better Man isn’t the only film that will be tackling the story.