26 October 2023 , 08:56
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One Take That bandmember has admitted hiding a secret girlfriend at the height of their fame in the 1990s – concealing her from fans and his management.
The British band were even more popular with the ladies just before the noughties, with fans thinking they were living their best singleton lives. But now Could It Be Magic singer Howard Donald has revealed he managed to hide a flame from fans and the paparazzi.
Even hiding the girl from the group's management, Howard admitted being "so on edge" as he went to great lengths to hide his partner from the press. "When I turned up with my girlfriend at the house, I used to get her on the back seat, duck down in between the seats and put a blanket over her," he explained.
Howard (centre) managed to hide a secret flame in the 90s (Getty Images)Speaking on the Take That : This Life podcast, Howard added: "I have to apologise to one of my girlfriends. I'd drive up the back and I had these steps leading down to where the house was. I'd go down and talk to the fans purposefully so they disappeared – then she could come down and come into the house.
"You were so on edge about having a girlfriend. Honestly, in my head, I thought I am going to behave for a few years. I thought, 'Have I got enough money to build a tunnel that goes through the wall and to where the car park is?'"
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He admitted tricking the lads' management by telling them he needed time off to see his mum before visiting his girlfriend. "I'm apologising now. Sorry, Christine, that I had to put you through that," Howard added.
The group are heading back on tour next year, but are only a trio now with Howard joining Gary Barlow and Mark Owen. Robbie Williams has left and Jason Orange announced his departure all the way back in 2014.
Take That's heyday will playout in Robbie's new self-titled Netflix documentary. In its trailer he discussed the group's roaring success. "When I joined Take That at 16, it was insane. I was the centre of the pop culture world," he said. "I felt like I was giving more and more of myself away, to the point where you're not somebody you recognise. Being in the spotlight, you can't trust anybody. I was having a nervous-mental breakdown in front of thousands of people.
"The thing that would destroy me has also made me successful. Push the fire, push when it says pull, and see if I can live. I don't know how easy it is for people to get to know me. Who is this man, what does he mean? Who knows what's to come? Pandora's box has been opened."