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Take That’s Mark Owen has welcomed the decision to move the BRIT Awards to Manchester, saying the long-running ceremony is now in “good hands” outside the capital.
The annual music awards will be held in the North West for the first time in their near 50-year history, marking a major shift after decades in London.
Speaking to The Standard at a special screening of the band’s forthcoming Netflix documentary, Owen, 53, said the change felt overdue.
“I think it’s great for Manchester,” he said. “I think it’s great for the Brits. It’s always good when they change things up. I think it’s been a great year for British music so it’s a celebration.
“Yeah, and it’s at the new venue — I think it’s at the Co-op Live Arena as well — so I think it’s going to be a great evening, and I’m excited for the acts.”
The Shine singer also reflected on Take That’s own early memories of the ceremony, recalling their first appearance in 1993, when they won Best British Single for Could It Be Magic.
“I remember the first time I went to the Brits,” he said. “We had, like — I know it’s crazy — but we had Bon Jovi over there. We had Madonna here.”
“They were trying to get away from us,” Gary Barlow joked.
“We were literally chasing these pop stars,” Owen laughed, “because we were going around the room trying to get a picture with them, and you could see they were telling all the security, ‘don’t let ’em through.'”
For Owen, the ceremony still carries the same buzz decades on.
“It’s so exciting whether it’s your first or your tenth,” he said. “It’s an exciting thing to be a part of and good luck to everybody and have a wonderful time. Manchester will look after the people, I’m sure. They’ll be in good hands.”
The comments came as Owen joined bandmates Barlow and Howard Donald at a private preview of their new documentary at The Cinema at the Power Station, alongside director David Soutar and executive producer Gabe Turner.
Guests included Amanda Holden, David Coulthard, James Corden, Joel Dommett and JLS star Oritsé Williams.
The three-part series traces the group’s journey from their Manchester beginnings to global fame, charting their rise, split and reunion through 35 years of archive footage and new interviews. Formed in 1989, Take That have scored 12 UK number one singles and sold more than 45 million records worldwide.
For the band, the story is as much about resilience as success.
“When you first joined a band in the 90s, you don’t really know where you’re going,” Donald, 57, told The Standard. “It’s just a journey.”
Reflecting on their breakup and comeback, he added: “Those first six years just went like that [clicks fingers]. You don’t know when you split up… you’re not planning to get back again in 10 years’ time. You don’t realise that when you do get back, you’re going to be as successful as the first time round.”
Barlow, 55, said their longevity ultimately comes down to the fans who never left.
“To simplify it all, it’s a real testament to our audience, because the world owes nobody anything,” he said. “We’ve had this audience that in 1991 they started appearing, and they’ve just never left us. I mean, how many people could say that?”
“I think that’s what differentiates us from most of the bands,” he added. “We’ve had this army of audience who’ve stuck with us through thick and thin. They’ve let us have 10 years off. They’ve let us come back. I mean, they’re amazing.”
Take That is available to stream on Netflix from Tuesday, January 27
