Gary Barlow has shared the one regret he feels over his earlier years in Take That. The singer took time to speak about his career with Ross King as part of ITV Lorraine's Christmas special.
On Christmas Day, Lorraine Kelly will be back fronting her self-titled show with an extra special episode full of surprises, including a festive performance from Craig David and the previously mentioned Gary who opened up to longtime friend Ross about his biggest regret from his time in Take That.
Ross joined Gary for the pre-recorded chat in Los Angeles as the pair reflected on 30 years of Take That as well as 30 years of friendship between the two.
Opening up about his regrets over the years, Gary says: "I was always the worrier in the band, everyone always has their different role and I was the worrier. It’s my only regret looking back, is that I wish I was in the moment more.
"I’m always thinking about tomorrow…what do we do next year? Big plans? Always planning ahead, and I don't ever really enjoy the moment."
Gary also spoke about appreciating the time he has now and focussing on living in the moment. He says on the show: "It’s been a terrific year this year, and I actually count every year that I’m still able to do this, as a magnificent year. If you’d have asked me 30 years ago how long is this gonna last for, I couldn't have dreamed it would have spanned all these years.
"These last couple of years I’ve had time and I’ve looked back a lot and been like ‘this has been amazing’. It’s made me appreciate it more than I’ve ever appreciated it."
Gary has previously shared how the loss of his daughter in 2012 gave him the "gift of perspective". The 51-year-old and his wife Dawn Andrews announced in August 2012 that their fourth child, Poppy Barlow, had been delivered stillborn. The couple have three other children: Daisy, Daniel and Emily Barlow.
Gary praised his wife for her strength following the stillbirth and detailed how she continued organising her three older children’s lives while "coping with loss so deep". He said: "I found myself back in that familiar place, not knowing any of the words or where to stand, nor what to say,” he admitted. I needed to accept this wasn’t a scar that was going to heal with time, this was a scar I was going to die with."
But Poppy's tragically brief life gave Gary a chance to reflect on his own life. Sharing how his single 'Let Me Go' was about celebrating her, he added: "This guy has got the gift of Poppy Barlow, the gift of perspective. I’d never had that before. A real lesson into what’s important."
Over the summer, in a break from touring with his own show, A Different Stage, Gary gave his fans another rare and intimate glimpse into his personal life by sharing pictures from his family holiday, which also happened to fall on his wife Dawn's 52nd birthday. "Happy Birthday Mrs.B," he penned alongside a photo of the pair grinning away on an inflatable pink flamingo in a pool.
"Still having fun after all these years - here’s to a wonderful day," he added. Gary then shared another selection of photos featuring himself and his wife on a hike with stunning views as the sun started to rise. " We’re currently enjoying a family holiday," Gary said. "As well as spending as much time as possible with everyone I also see a holiday as a great opportunity for exercise.
"I often simply don’t have enough hours in a day due to work. Holiday means early mornings for me and a chance to try new ways of moving. Hikes, classes etc etc and wherever possible do it with the fam. Here’s a few shots of D and me hiking - photography by Dan."
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