Take That star tells of band's regrets over Robbie Williams' departure
My fingertips once brushed the hand of Mark Owen and I swear to God if my friend hadn’t been there to catch me, I might have passed out.
Like millions of others, I spent the 90s in a haze of Take That adoration, and although I didn’t quite call the helpline when the band split up, I was bereft.
Being a Take That fan is not just a teen memory, it lasts a lifetime. I may have stalked Robbie Williams at the Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards (sorry, boss) and my friends and I still scrabble for concert tickets and scream crazily.
And in return the band – Gary Barlow, 52, Mark Owen, 51, and Howard Donald, 55 – have a unique love for their fans.
Fresh-faced as a fivesome in 1992 (Getty Images)ITVX today airs an exclusive documentary, 30 Years in the Making, in which Take That delve into their special relationship with their faithful followers.
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“They’re the best in the world. They’ve been with us all their lives,” says Gary.
As well as following the band’s journey, and featuring gushing commentary from stars including Alesha Dixon and Sue Perkins, the show also tells the story of the making of the film Greatest Days, released in cinemas on Friday.
Based on the Take That musical of the same name, the movie – directed by Mel Giedroyc’s sister Coky – follows a group of estranged pals who reunite over their love for a band they adored as teens.
It’s very much a story about friendship – and friendship, agrees Howard, “is everything”.
Cast as band in Greatest Days flick (Rob Baker Ashton)Of the three remaining Take That members, it’s he who seems the most contemplative in the documentary – especially opening up about the 1995 split with Robbie Williams and their brief reunion in 2010-11.
He says: “To have someone close to you that you can speak to about your feelings, that’s one of the things we never ever did in the 90s, hence why Robbie left.
“We never discussed what he was feeling before he left that room. We look back at that moment and think we wished we could have talked more.
“I wonder if it could have saved him leaving. It was a massive lease of life for me to get everyone back together again.”
The documentary reveals the challenges of the film, including shooting during the pandemic, but it’s the focus on the fans that captures the imagination.
Sara with Robbie (Collect)
A distraught fan weeps over split in 1996 (Daily Mirror)In particular the huge hysteria, which saw the Samaritans giving advice on how to cope when the band split.
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Gary says: “It felt like a whirlwind. Extraordinary things happening to these five guys from the North.”
Howard adds: “Mark was one of the favourites. He had hundreds of girls outside his house on his birthday – they had to close the road. We were all very jealous of him.”
In the documentary, superfans talk about how Take That and their music have seen them through hard times, including love, illness and loss.
Dad-of-two Gary says: “Our music is definitely moments in people’s lives. Music is like time travel. It’s like we’re all on a journey together.”
And there’s even a message for Robbie and former bandmate Jason Orange.
Gary adds: “We’re a funny band now, with sliding doors. I do feel me, Mark and Howard are the stalwarts who will always be there. But make no mistake, this band is important to all of us, even the ones who aren’t in it right now. You can come back or leave whenever you want.” One thing is certain – the fans aren’t going anywhere…
* 30 Years in the Making airs on ITVX today, while Greatest Days premieres in cinemas on Friday.
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