Take That's Howard Donald sports eyepatch on stage after freak injury

Take That star Howard Donald has started wearing an eyepatch while performing - after being poked in the eye by a fan.

The 51-year-old How Deep Is You Love? singer appeared to be channeling Madonna by wearing the patch on stage in Berlin and Denmark alongside bandmates Gary Barlow and Mark Owen.

But an insider told The Sun: “Howard was leaving his hotel in Amsterdam on Monday where he had been staying during the tour and a big crowd of fans jumped on him in the hope of getting some pictures and giving him a hug.

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“In the melee someone accidentally poked him right in the eyeball and it’s still pretty sore, even now. One of the team then went out and bought him an eye patch which he could wear on stage to make sure he could keep it protected.”

A scratched eyeball, or corneal abrasion to give it its correct medical terms can lead to infection if not properly treated. Symptoms can include tearing, light sensitivity, headache, blurred vision, eye twitching and even nausea. Medical advice is to seek treatment and keep the eye covered.

Madonna has taken to wearing an eyepatch emblazoned with a jewelled ‘X” as part of her new Madame X persona.

Spice Girl Mel B was recently treated at Moorfields eye hospital in London for a serious eye infection just days before the band were due to begin their reunion tour. She lost vision in her right eye and suffered blurred vision in her left, amid reports she had run into Accident and Emergency shouting, “I’m blind!”

Scary Spice joked she would have to wear an eyepatch on stage for the Spice World tour, but in her eye appeared to have recovered in time for the opening show in Dublin.