Netflix’s Take That sees the stars open up about their ground-breaking formation and catastrophic downfall.
Take That is a three-part factual series that features decades of never-before-seen footage and interviews from the stars, including current members Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald.
The series also features archival footage and interviews from Robbie Williams and Jason Orange, who left the band and different times.
Take That began as a five-piece in 1990, when former manager Nigel Martin-Smith was keen to create a British male vocal singing group modelled on New Kids on the Block.
He was first introduced to young singer-songwriter Gary Barlow, who had been performing in clubs since he was 15. Taken aback by his ability to write his own material, the manager decided to build his new band around Barlow’s musical talents.
Auditions took place in Manchester and other cities in 1990 and here is all you need to know about how old the band members were when Take That was first formed.
Gary Barlow’s love of music began at an early age and he revealed he got his first keyboard at the age of 10.
In 1986, when Barlow was 15, he entered a BBC Pebble Mill at One Christmas song competition with ‘Let’s Pray for Christmas’.
After reaching the semi-finals, he was invited to record his song and this inspired him to perform his own songs in clubs.
In 1989, he appointed showbiz agent Barry Woolley to be his manager and recorded a single ‘Love Is in the Air’ under the name Kurtis Rush.
Barlow was put in touch with casting agent Martin-Smith, who eventually decided to use him as the lead singer of a boy band that would become Take That.
Robbie Williams was the youngest member of the group and in the 2005 documentary titled Take That: For the Record, his mother read an advert seeking members for a new boy band and suggested he try out for the group.
He met fellow member Mark Owen on the day of his audition and interview with manager Martin-Smith and they instantly clicked.
However, his escalating drug use did not go unnoticed and ultimately led to his departure from the band in 1995.
Take That would then disband on February 13, 1996, on Williams’ 22nd birthday.
Mark Owen had little interest in music in his early life and instead focused on football, playing briefly for Chadderton FC.
Before auditioning for Take That, he worked at Barclays bank in Failsworth.
Although during Take That’s original run his vocal contributions were limited, he was seen as the most popular member of the group due to his boyish good looks and “sweet” character.
At 22 years old, Howard Donald was one of the oldest to audition for the band, but was chosen after he got time off work as a vehicle painter to continue the audition process.
He was a keen DJ who shared a lot of the same passions as Barlow. As a teenager, he also became interested in dancing and often checked out the breakdancing circuit in the Greater Manchester area, where he would first come into contact with future bandmate Jason Orange.
He would then audition for Martin-Smith’s new boy band project at his office in Manchester and was eventually selected.
Jason Orange was part of the Manchester-based breakdance crew Street Machine in the mid-1980s, during his early teenage years.
He saw some success as a dancer, as his crew won the Manchester round of the UK Breakdancing Championship in 1985.
The star, now 55, also appeared on the show The Hit Man and Her as a featured dancer and was a member of a duo called Look Twice in the late 80s.
He was about to mark the end of his teens when he joined Take That during their fruition in 1990.
