EXCLUSIVE: The 90s boy band are bringing The Circus Live back to arenas and open up about the potential return of Jason Orange
It’s good news for Take That fans. Ahead of their tenth studio album, the boy band are set to bring back their Circus tour, almost two decades after first delighting fans with it.
On the day of the tour announcement, The Mirror sat down with the group to learn more about the tour, including whether or not fans will be treated to the remaining three – Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen – or if a fourth original Take That boy is coming back too.
The Circus Live is back. “Even that sentence is exciting. It’s hard to say it without a smile on your face, isn’t it!” Mark said. The day a massive tour is announced might be nerve-wracking for some, but for Take That, there was just “excitement”.
“There’s no nerves. A lot of excitement. Today is big because we’ve told people what we’re doing! So we’ve got to go through with it,” Gary joked. “The thing is, it’s like, the discussion that’s happened over the last few years is, you know, is it right? Should we be doing this? Is the memory better? But no, actually, we’re ready to go and do this again. And I think people are going to enjoy it. And that’s always the reason we do anything. We think the crowd will have a great night. Let’s go.”
It’s been 16 years since The Circus Live was on tour, and it will be 17 when they embark on the next edition in 2026. “It was 2009, but a lot has happened since then. Oh my goodness,” mused Gary. He mentioned that he had a child that year, who was three months old when the tour started, so he knows all too well how much time has passed.
“I know how old this tour is. Our daughter was three months old when we toured this. And now she’s just done her GCSEs. So that’s how time passes – so quickly.”
Howard was also a father during the 2009 tour. Then, his two daughters were the same ages as his two sons now, so it really feels like a full circle moment for the singer.
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“A lot’s changed, right?” Gary said. “Personally and we’ve, you know, within our band. You know, obviously we’ve been a three since 2014. So 10 years as a three-piece.” Gary said it “feels normal now” but for many fans, Take That will always include Jason Orange and Robbie Williams.
Would Jason return for the tour? “You’d need to ask him,” Gary responded. “But the door’s always open. For everyone. Robbie included. We’re a three-piece at the moment, but I’d never say never. Because this band always surprises me.
“But not on this particular occasion,” he then clarified. Of course, something else on many fans’ minds is whether or not this tour will live up to the name ‘Circus’. When asked what circus skills he’ll be bringing to the stage, Gary said: “The forward roll is one of my favourites. Listen, I’m limbering up but literally, my tour prep starts tomorrow morning.”
What will that prep involve? “A lot of gym. A lot of gym. Because obviously it’s a big stage because we’re in a big venue, singing at the same time, need good lung capacity. I’m being serious here now, actually. It is a lot of cardio training.”
Howard has apparently been brushing up on his unicycling skills and promised it will be a prominent feature of the tour, just like it was in 2009. “I got back on it the other day and god, I’d forgotten how hard it is on the legs! It was hard on the legs back then for the first Circus tour – because you’re not only peddling, you’re using your legs to balance. But yeah, I’ve got to live with it now and stick with it till the tour next year!”
Mark has promised to learn something new for the tour. “I actually thought about the high wire – wouldn’t that be amazing?” Of that’s what he wants to do, Mark’s not short of places to learn. “Down the road from where I live there’s a circus school, so I’ve got no excuse really. I’ll get down there and let you know how it goes.”
Going on a high wire feels quite daring and is certainly not for the faint of heart. Luckily, Mark is excited for a challenge and feels he’s the same person who gave everything a go on the first tour. “In my mind, I’m the same as I always was. So, in my mind I’m like ‘Yeah, I can do this’. But I don’t know about the reality. I might be like ‘Oh, my back!’
“I don’t know, but I’m really excited to try. I love a challenge and there are so many people around us.” He adds: “What is great about the Circus is, it’s like one big party. It rolls into town and there’s so many things going on – so many people making it a great experience.”
Howard also doesn’t think he’s changed that much in the years since The Circus Live. He remarked that he was “never very rock ‘n’ roll” and thinks that’s still the case. “I was never very rock n roll, even back in the 90s. I’d have a drink, but I was never what you’d call a drinker – and I’m not a drinker now. But I do love chips. That’s as rock and roll as I get.”
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