How Take That's Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald have evolved from baby

Release time：2024-05-09 07:21:00 Source：Cosmic Compass news portal

Take That kick off their huge UK and Ireland stadium tour this weekend in Sheffield, following the success of their new album, This Life.

The band's first world tour was in 1995 - when remaining members Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald looked drastically different.

But the three musicians have transformed dramatically over the years, showing off different looks throughout their decades long career.

In 2022, Mark, 52, had shocked fans by adopting a moustache and long hair while promoting his solo album.

Gary, 53, meanwhile, saw his weight spiral after Take That split and his second solo album flopped in the late 90s to early 2000s. Before overhauling his diet, he weighed 17-and-half stone at his heaviest.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at how the three band members have changed their appearance in recent years... 

GARY BARLOW

Gary Barlow, pictured left in 2001, when he weighed 16st 11lbs. Pictured right, Gary at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in France on 18 May 2022

For mothers up and down the country, he's become a much admired crush thanks to his charming smile, luscious locks and toned physique.  

But that hasn't always been the case for Gary, with the singer struggling with his weight after Take That split and he was dropped by his solo label.

The singer, who became depressed during the rough period in his career in the late 1990s and started binge eating and smoking cigarettes, told how he removed all the mirrors in his house when his weight reached 17.5st.

The singer, 51, became depressed during the rough period in his career in the late 1990s and started binge eating and smoking cigarettes.

Speaking in 2022 during his one-man theatre show A Different Stage, seen by the Daily Star, Gary revealed he received constant jibes from members of the public that fellow Take That member Robbie Williams' had a more successful solo career than him.

The star said he then bought a new house and became reclusive, spending much of his time gorging on junk food.

He said: 'One morning I caught myself in the mirror and I thought, "Oh no, I've got to do something about this". So I did, I took down all the mirrors - massive house not one single mirror.'

'I got to 17-and-half stone, but it's not all the work of chocolate, the real heavy lifting here is being done a few times a week down the road at the local Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet.'

In 2018, Gary revealed on Instagram how this snap from when he was overweight keeps him 'on the straight and narrow' after losing five stone

Gary Barlow attends 'Carpool Karaoke: The Series' On Apple Music Launch Party at Chateau Marmont on August 7, 2017 in Los Angeles

Struggles: Gary said: 'I disliked myself so much' when he reached 17 stone in the years between Take That stardom and his solo career. (pictured left in 2005 and right in 2021)

The original members of Take That, Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams, Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald, pictured in 1993

Gary previously spoke candidly about his weight gain during an appearance on Loose Women.

He said: 'When I gained a lot of weight, I just disliked myself so much. At the point I decided to lose weight, I wanted to see results and feel better. If the scales are that, use them.'

He added, however, that it's important to maintain self-confidence during a weight battle, advising: 'I don’t believe in weighing yourself every day and beating yourself up. The body doesn’t work like that.

'You could do nothing wrong and be heavier, the body is a bit like the seasons. It changes throughout the year. So there’s maybe some danger in that.'

Gary secretly battled bulimia following the split of his band and previously admitted he 'was trying to kill off the popstar'.

He said:  'Nine years [I stopped singing]. Just turned my back on it. I was trying to kill off the popstar, that’s what I was doing.

'I was eating away what a popstar looked like. I was just killing him off. Stopped dying the hair, stopped buying nice clothes, just wanted to look the opposite, physically and mentally.'

Now, Gary, who reportedly lost around five stone, and his bandmates, are on a vigorous exercise regime ahead of their tour.

Speaking to The Mirror, Gary, Mark and Howard, 55, revealed what their weekly exercise plan consists of.

According to the 90s pop stars, daily magnesium ice baths, F45 workouts four or five times a week, stretching and a high protein, low carb diet is the trick to staying young, healthy and fit. 

Explaining his top tips, Gary said: 'Move and get out, that's what my dad used to say. I've tried everything, I really have. 

'It's a mental thing for me, and exercise makes me happy. I see it as a way to make my mind clearer and in turn makes my day better.'

MARK OWEN

Mark Owen pictured in 1993, left. Pictured right, the singer at The O2 Arena on December 10, 2023 in London

In 2022, Mark had shocked fans by adopting a moustache and long hair while promoting his solo album.

Appearing on BBC Breakfast at the time, host Sally Nugent couldn't help but ask the singer about his makeover.

Referring to his Take That days, she asked: 'Actually, you look different. The moustache, how long has that been there?'

Mark replied: 'It's been there for about four years probably. It started off as a beard and then my beard got a bit patchy on this side. Then we were going on tour, and beards can get a bit sweaty on tour…'

He continued: 'So then it became a moustache and it sort of stuck. My children keep threatening to cut it off, they're like, "Can we just…?"

Explaining his reasoning for keeping the moustache at the time, he commented: 'I've done my artwork. I can't change the look! I've done the video. I can't change my look now.'

But the musician, who has long been known as the 'cute one' in the band, has apparently decided to change things up again.

Last weekend, Take That fans rejoiced as Mark debuted a 'baby faced' look during the band's performance on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. 

Mark had previously shocked fans in 2022, by adopting a moustache and long hair while promoting his solo album (pictured left in 2023)

Appearing on BBC Breakfast in 2022, he revealed his new look saying it started as a 'patchy beard' and then 'became a moustache and it sort of stuck' (pictured)

The group opened the penultimate episode of the long-standing entertainment show with hit song, Shine.

Viewers couldn't help but notice the Mark's clean shave and new haircut with fans claiming he took them 'back to the 90s.'

Sharing their thought's on X, formerly Twitter, fans said Mark was 'looking beautiful' after ditching his facial hair.

They wrote: 'Glad to see Mark Owen has tidied himself up'. Another said: 'Mark is looking so much better!' 

One person added: 'Mark Owen is taking me back to my youth after ditching that god awful moustache and growing back his curtains. And I'm here for it.'

HOWARD DONALD

Howard Donald pictured in the '90s, left. Pictured right, Howard Donald of Take That attends the photocall of "Greatest Days" during the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Majestic Beach Pier on May 18, 2022 in Cannes, France

These days Howard (picture centre) shows off a stylish and toned appearance, with a full head of gorgeous hair

These days Howard shows off a stylish and toned appearance, with a full head of gorgeous hair.

But in 2019, he told The Sun how one of his biggest worries about his looks has been keeping a full head of locks.  

The singer admitted he feared he would have been booted from the band if he had started to go bald. 

'I've been fearing going bald since I was 18, seriously, I have. We would have had a new member if I'd have got a bald patch,' he said.

Speaking on Paul O’Grady’s Saturday Night Line Up in 2021, the star admitted that his fear of going bald was the reason behind him growing dreadlocks during the boy band's heyday.

According to the Mirror, he said: 'When I first started in Take That, from that moment on I thought, "I really don’t want to go bald".

'So that’s one of the reasons I got my dreadlocks. I just kept growing it. And I’ve done alright, I’m 53 and I still haven’t lost my hair, so it’s all good.

'I used to get the p*** taken off me all of the time by Gary (Barlow) about how smelly my hair was, to the point that when I stayed at his house, he actually put a plastic cover over his pillow, on the bed that I was staying on!'

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