Take That reunite with Robbie Williams on stage for Brits Icon Award

Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, and Mark Owen joined Williams on stage to present him with the Brits Icon Award

(Getty Images)

Robbie Williams was holding on to quite the treat for fans at his gig at London's Troxy.

The current Take That line-up - Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, and Mark Owen - joined the singer on stage to present him with the Brits Icon Award; as part of the singer's special one-off gig to celebrate the prestigious honour.

The quartet also performed together some of the band's past hits, 'The Flood' and 'Back for Good'; before Donald joked, "Rob, whether you like it or not, you will always be a member of Take That."

Take That's surprise appearance came mere hours after the Mirror reported that Williams had responded to questions about a possible reunion in the negative; insisting, "It might happen, who knows, but right now I don't think so. Reunion at some point, definitely - but we just couldn't get our diaries to work in the next 12 months."

With the band originally disbanding in 1996, its members reunited without Williams back in 2006; Williams himself rejoined briefly in 2010 for album Progress, before a second (amicable) departure in 2014, itself swiftly followed by Jason Orange also taking his leave of the band.

Williams has just kicked off his European tour in promotion of his latest album, Heavy Entertainment Show; though his lead single from the album, 'Party Like a Russian', recently saw the singer get himself into a spot of bother with Vladimir Putin.