Robbie Williams unveiled his much-anticipated comeback single on radio this morning and assured fans his self-imposed exile from the music industry was over.

The former Take That pin-up turned platinum-selling solo artist unveiled Bodies on stations around the UK at 8am but delivered it in person to Chris Moyles’s breakfast show on Radio 1.

As his first new music since the much-derided 2006 album Rudebox went to air, the singer released a statement admitting he was “a bit scared”.

"What it means to me is that I'm at a turning point in my career," he said. "This next record decides my path.”

But after Moyles played the rousing pop song, Williams regained the cocky confidence he was once famous for, declaring: "Come on Williams! He's back!"

The song, released next month, will be the first from the new album Reality Killed the Video Star, which Williams describes as 50 minutes of escapism.

“I want them to dance, I want them to forget about who they are and where they are for 50 minutes.

“And, within those 50 minutes of forgetting who they are, I also hope people relate to the songs.”

When Williams announced his comeback plans last month, Take That fans abandoned hope that the singer would rejoin the one-time boy band he walked out of in 1995. But this morning Williams hinted to Moyles that a reunion could still take place.

"I was with [Take That frontman] Gary Barlow a couple of weeks ago and we watched the whole [Take That tour] show together at mine and I just thought it's one of the best shows I have ever seen,” he said.

"It was an amazing show and I loved it."

Asked if it felt weird to watch his former bandmates performing, he replied "Not really.”

"It made me want to be with them in the band."

Williams admitted he would "really like" to work with the band now that old rifts, which saw the group dissolve before reforming without him, had been healed.

Later, when Moyles told him that Barlow had been "non-committal" about Williams teaming up with Take That, Williams changed his mind.

"Really?" he said, "Well, that's it then. I am not doing it. That's it, I am not joining Take That then. It's official."

Williams has seen his fortunes dive as Take That enjoyed a second round of success. After leaving the band, he built an enviable career, racking up eight No 1 albums and six chart-topping singles, while the group dissolved. However when Take That regrouped without Williams in 2005, they found widespread success just as their former bandmate’s latest album garnered poor reviews and failed to produced any chart-conquering singles.

In an effort to emulate the success of his earlier albums, including Sing When Your Winning and I've Been Expecting You, , Williams has employed heavyweight help for Reality Killed the Video Star.

The star, signed to EMI and worth an estimated £80 million, teamed up with the veteran producer Trevor Horn, who has worked with Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner and Seal.

Williams has also had help from lyricist Don Black, who penned Bond themes Diamonds are Forever and Tomorrow Never Dies.

Bodies is released on October 12, before Reality Killed the Video Star hits the shelves on November 9.

Explore Music

• CD Reviews

• Live Reviews

• Classical

Editor's choice

• The super cool Vampire Weekend
• Streep and Baldwin get complicated
• Guy Ritchie on Sherlock Holmes