Boybands Forever, review: inside the dark underbelly of pop’s glory days

Living the dream? Mark Owen, Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald of Take That in 1993
Living the dream? Mark Owen, Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow and Howard Donald of Take That in 1993 - Pete Still/Redferns

When Take That first became famous, they had a meet-and-greet session with fans. A pretty girl sidled up to Robbie Williams and, without introduction, put her hand straight down his trousers. “I was like, oh my God, the prophecy is true! This is what happens when you’re in a band,” he recalls now.

That may have been one of the upsides, for a young Williams at least. But there were plenty of downsides, as recounted in Boybands Forever (BBC Two). Produced by Louis Theroux’s company, it is made up of candid interviews with now-middle-aged stars from the Smash Hits era. It’s a really good watch.

The first two episodes are structured as head-to-heads between particular bands – Take That vs East 17, 911 vs 5ive – with further contributions from members of Damage, Westlife and Blue. In the final episode, they reflect upon where they are now. 911 are unexpectedly still big in Vietnam. East 17’s John Hendy had to go back to roofing. Williams is interviewed from a chalet in Gstaad.

Simon Cowell is among the contributors to Boybands Forever
Simon Cowell is among the contributors to Boybands Forever - Simon Fanthorpe/BBC

Archive footage induces a wave of nostalgia, particularly if you were a schoolgirl back then. But it was more fun for us than it was for them. The schedule of a boyband is relentless. There were tabloid stings, walkouts, mental breakdowns. And splits: when Take That called it a day, Moira Stuart somberly delivered the news in the Six O’Clock bulletin, and fans were directed to a Samaritans helpline.

The picture is illuminated by interviews with managers and music executives, some more appealing than others. 5ive’s former manager Chris Herbert explains how he sold them as a concept: “Take That and Boyzone would come and bring you a bunch of roses, and 5ive would be sh---ing you up against the garage door.”

And then there’s Simon Cowell, sipping tea in his shades like a Despicable Me villain, smirking about this “intense, horrible, disgusting business”. He dismisses complaints about life in a boyband: “If you don’t want that, then be an accountant.” You’re left wondering if Cowell would have changed his tone if the series had been made after the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne.