Robbie Williams addresses NYE hand sanitiser incident

The image of Williams reaching over for the gel after interacting with the crowd became the first meme of 2017

Mere moments after stepping into the wilds of 2017, and already a pitch-perfect meme seemed to spring forth to adeptly capture every feeling about the new year.

Robbie Williams, while performing the classic 'Auld Lang Syne' on the BBC, uncomfortably shook hands with the audience before retreating back to the stage to cleanse himself of the touch of the people.

Caught on cameras, the image of Williams squirting hand sanitiser into his palms soon went viral, so it was inevitable the singer would come forth to address the matter himself.

Which he did in his usual teasing style, poking fun of the incident in a video shared on Instagram by his wife Ayda Field, and later posted on William's own account.

It sees Williams reaching over to the hand sanitiser even when interacting with members of his own family, making the same repelled face as he rubs the gel into his hands. So it's nothing personal, honest.

Recently, Williams was joined on stage by other members of Take That - Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, and Mark Owen - videos of which have made their way online.