Take That cancel gig as Robbie Williams gets food poisoning

Devastated: Take That and Robbie cancelled their show
11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Pop star Robbie Williams today thanked fans for their messages of support after Take That were forced to cancel a show for the first time in their lengthy career after the singer suffered a bout of food poisoning.

The singer became violently ill on Friday night and was unable to recover in time to perform at yesterday's gig in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In a message on his blog, the Angels singer wrote: "Hey folks..thank you for your messages and love...I'm not completely out of the woods yet...but feeling much better...gutted for everyone involved with the tour...feeling dreadful for letting the fans down...I'm so, so sorry ....."

He also posted a photograph of himself in bed attached to a drip.

A statement released by the group yesterday said it was "truly devastated" that the show did not go ahead.

"This is the first show that we have ever had to cancel in our career as a band," it said.

"It was a horrible decision to make and one we agonised over.

"On Friday night, Rob suffered serious food poisoning from something he had eaten after the show.

"He was violently ill all night and well into the morning."

The band said the singer's dressing-room was relocated to the stadium on Friday morning in the hope that he could recover and prepare for the show.

But despite taking prescribed medication, Williams was still vomiting at 4pm and doctors insisted he was not fit to perform.

The statement said that the band made a "group decision" to cancel the show as they felt it was "fairer" to the fans as the tour was about celebrating their reunion.

It added: "We cannot believe what has happened.

"Rob is still very unwell and we are all just focusing on getting him better so we can put on our show in Amsterdam this coming Monday."

They added that they were "truly sorry from the bottom of our hearts" to those that had purchased tickets.

Take That's latest reunion show begins with a medley of songs performed by Jason Orange, Mark Owen, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald - who reformed without Williams in 2006.

Williams, who returned to the original line-up last year, then sings a list of his own solo hits before the band reel off past and present songs as a five-piece.

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