Dear Gary Barlow, when I read the news that you and the other Take That boys had reunited with Robbie Williams in a New York studio over the weekend, it took the shine off my day. I could almost hear a collective public shout: ‘Nooooooooooooo’.

(Yes, it was in slow motion, and yes, the back-ground pulled away, too).

Come on, Gary, what are you THINKING? Can’t you see that the little man, Williams, has sunk into oblivion and now wants to ride on the coat tails of your current success?

And call me a cynic if you will, but I wonder if the jowly one is needing a little positive PR to coincide with the release of his new album – his first since Rudebox flopped in 2006.

Talking of coincidence, have you forgotten the 2007 Brit Awards? While you were being honoured, Williams checked himself into rehab on exactly the same day. I certainly haven’t. When I wrote about it I received a flood of indignant letters from Williams fans, disgusted I had dare to suggest he was trying to grab the headlines from you lot.

I confess, Mr Barlow, that when you and Take That first flexed your way into the charts – all scrubbed and boyish – in the early ‘90s I was too busy listening to rock and indie for my head to be turned.

But in your later years, minus the one from Stoke on Trent, you grew on me.

Take That in its current incarnation is a solid outfit. You’ve scrubbed up. You seem like decent chaps who love their families. Why, you even starred in a Marks & Spencer advert. I’m even willing to brush over the rumours that Howard Donald buys value meals at Tesco Express in Ringwood.

When the four of you reunited and your star was in the ascendant, Williams went slowly cuckoo, grew a beard, hunted for aliens and bemoaned his £80 million fortune.

I’m sure a lot of die-hard Take That fans will agree with me when I say that, while Williams may have been a brilliant entertainer, you don’t need this particular apple in your cart any more.

I hope that tales of the secret reunion – at Electric Lady Studios which was built for Jimi Hendrix – has been blown up out of proportion. A spokeman said the meeting was simp-ly to approve the final mix of a greatest hits album.

Let’s pray this is the case, Gary, and you are not holding out a hand for Williams to come back on board for good.

If so, I fear your record-ings may have some strange shuffling noises on them.

That’ll be Hendrix turning in his grave.