Advertisement

Gary Barlow says he 'lost control' when it came to food after Take That split

Danny Thompson
·Contributor
·2-min read
BERLIN, GERMANY - APRIL 01: Take That singer Gary Barlow during the photocall "The Band - Das Musical" with the main cast and members of the band Take That at Theater des Westens on April 1, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Isa Foltin/Getty Images)
Take That singer Gary Barlow during the photocall "The Band - Das Musical" with the main cast and members of the band Take That at Theater des Westens on April 1, 2019 in Berlin. (Photo by Isa Foltin/Getty Images)

Gary Barlow has opened up about his weight issues after leaving Take That, saying his size ballooned when he “lost control” of himself when it came to food.

The singer is about to release a new album, which features a duet with TV’s James Corden, and ahead of the release the Gavin and Stacey star asked for some weight loss tips.

Speaking via a Zoom call with Corden, Barlow admitted to his past issues with managing his weight and his food intake.

Read more: Gary Barlow duetting with James Corden on new solo album

He said: "I had a rough period with food that I’m not proud of, where I really lost control of myself. I remember one particular day just thinking: ‘How have I got here?’ I was just so disappointed with myself.

“So coming back from somewhere like that is a bit more serious than: ‘Oh, I want to lose a couple of stone here.’ It was more of a condition that just couldn’t continue.

Gary Barlow during Party in the Park Line Up Announcements - June 1, 1999 at Hyde Park in London, Great Britain. (Photo by Fred Duval/FilmMagic)
Gary Barlow during Party in the Park Line Up Announcements - June 1, 1999 at Hyde Park in London, Great Britain. (Photo by Fred Duval/FilmMagic)

"So it started there for me and I turned my brain on to sorting out what I ate. The trouble is the food I love — Chinese, chips, crisps. They were giving me a couple minutes of a food coma, taking me out of the real world. It’s just not good, that.”

He went on to suggest people losing weight keep a food diary, as if you have to write something down when you eat something naughty, you are less likely to do it.

Read more: 'We soldier on' - Gary Barlow pays tribute to stillborn daughter

Barlow has been candid about his issues with weight before and has discussed how Take That disbanding in 1996 had an impact on his wellbeing.

Appearing on Lorraine in 2018 he said: “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.

"2003 – it was the day when I just went, 'No, I’m not having this anymore, I’m going to change. I want to change and I’m determined that this is not who I’ve become’."

Watch: 90s boyband rivals duet in lockdown