Robbie Williams might actually be rejoining Take That

The singer will be joining Take That for their 25th-anniversary tour next year, with a view to potentially producing new material

Gary Barlow , Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Robbie Williams of Take That in 2010 (Getty Images)

After much speculation, it's been revealed Robbie Williams will be rejoining Take That for their 25th-anniversary tour next year.

Though he left the group in 2012 to focus on his solo career, Williams appears to have agreed to make a return to the band for the occasion; as a source told the Daily Mirror, "Gary has always been the planner and his mind is now focused on the 25 project. Robbie says he is up for coming back and performing again. He feels that he is at peace with the group and wants to help commemorate their astonishing rise."

Having formed in 1990, the anniversary will commemorate the release of their first studio album Take That & Party in 1992; Williams originally quit the band in 1995, though he rejoined briefly in 2010 for the album Progress and its accompanying tour.

He'll be joining former bandmates Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald for the tour; alongside the earlier confirmation that Jason Orange will be absent, having quit in 2014 after the decision he would no longer pursue music. Howard told the Sun, "We've been in touch with Jason... Jason is in his place where he is now and he's not got any intention at the moment to be back in the band."

However, more intriguing is the suggestion that Williams may aid the group in penning new tracks for the anniversary. "We've been talking to Robbie about it, and it might be that if we do a 25th-anniversary album, that we do some co-writing or some extra tracks on that," Howard said. "I think it would be nice to do something with him. In our minds at the moment there's an intention to do some new tracks, a greatest hits, and a tour, then we'll see."

Which, surely, would mean that Williams was officially back in the band? We'll have to see.