Take That singer Gary Barlow has hinted that prodigal son Robbie Williams may yet return to the flock following the band's success with fifth LP The Circus, which looks set to go to number one this week.

After years spent acting the trumped-up little tart and downplaying his stellar achievements with the '90s boyband Williams' stock has fallen after the commercial failure of 2006 album Rudebox, copies of which are currently enjoying a second incarnation as Chinese roadkill.

The time is nigh, in short. But Barlow - oft-praised for his pivotal role as the 'eye-candy' in the band, above - is keeping things vague for now:

"As long as we're alive people are going to ask if we're going to get back together and I do believe we will one day, I just don't know when," he said at a Paris album launch."

Barlow added that his main concern viz The Robbie Question right now was "rebuilding friendships" and that he was in touch with the 'Angels' warbler on at least a weekly basis.

"I get an email every week from Rob," he said. "Mark gets one every other week, J [Jason Orange] phones him once a week ... It's really fun getting to know him again, I must say.

"It just feels great, it feels perfect and it feels like it could be our ultimate record, this. Until the day we die we don't need any more praise - that's for sure."