In a deeply personal revelation, Take That's Gary Barlow has shared details of his prolonged struggle with bulimia following the band's initial split in 1996. The emotional disclosure comes as part of a forthcoming three-part Netflix documentary that promises an unprecedented look into the iconic British boyband's history.
Unprecedented Access to Take That's Journey
The documentary series, directed by David Soutar, features never-before-seen footage filmed by band member Howard Donald over thirty-five years. Take That granted full editorial control to the production team, a significant decision for a group whose internal dynamics have been widely discussed in the media.
Gary Barlow's Candid Confession
Gary Barlow opens up about the difficult period after Take That disbanded, describing how he became the target of public ridicule and experienced profound isolation. "You're the butt of the joke. It was so excruciating you just want to crawl into a hole," he recalls. "There was a period of 13 months where I didn't leave the house once."
The singer explains how he began gaining weight intentionally, believing it would help him avoid recognition and live a normal life. "The more weight I put on, the less people would recognise me and I thought, this is good. This is what I have been waiting for. This is a normal life," he shares.
The Descent into Bulimia
Barlow describes how his relationship with food deteriorated, leading to bulimic behaviours. "I would have these nights and I would eat and eat and eat but however I felt about myself, I felt ten times worse the day after," he confesses.
At his heaviest, weighing over seventeen stone, Barlow reached a breaking point. "One day, I thought, 'I have been out, it's ten o'clock, I have eaten too much, I need to get rid of this food.' You just go off to a dark corner of the house and you make yourself sick," he reveals. "You think it's only once, then all of a sudden you're walking down that corridor again and again. Is this it? Is this what I am going to be doing forever?"
The Road to Recovery
By 2003, Barlow began his journey toward recovery. "I just went, 'No, I'm not having this any more. I'm going to change. I want to change and I'm determined that this is not who I've become,'" he states. The singer acknowledges that while his decline happened relatively quickly, his recovery took significantly longer. "It only took a few years to get that low, but it took me years to get back to who I wanted to be. Ten years probably."
Other Band Members' Struggles
The documentary also features Howard Donald discussing his own mental health challenges following the band's split. "I felt like I was the only one who didn't grow up, even though I was the eldest," Donald shares. "It was going towards a depressive state. I decided to go to the Thames. I was seriously thinking I was going to kill myself but I was too much of a s**tbag to do it."
Rare Footage and Honest Reflections
The series includes rare footage of Jason Orange, who left the group in 2014, rehearsing with his bandmates in gothic outfits. His voice narrates: "We were tight amongst ourselves, I felt like we were kings of the world."
At the documentary's premiere, Howard Donald emphasised the project's authenticity. "I think it is such a true documentary. You can easily do a documentary and take out all the bits that you feel uncomfortable with — and there are quite a lot of uncomfortable bits in there," he told The Sun. "But it's true of the last 35 years of Take That. There is a lot of footage people have never seen. It's good for people to see."
The documentary provides a comprehensive look at Take That's evolution from five working-class lads to global icons, exploring both their professional triumphs and personal challenges with remarkable candour.
