Hot topics close

Take That on their BAFTAs performance and Robbie Williams' Better ...

Take That on their BAFTAs performance and Robbie Williams Better
GQ caught up with Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen a few hours before they took the stage at the Royal Festival Hall to discuss their perfect needle drop in Anora and their ex-bandmate's unconventional biopic Better Man

You’re the opening performance at the BAFTAs tonight. What have you prepared?

MO: For us, we wanted to put our smart clothes on.

GB: Our BAFTA clothes.

MO: We wanted to feel the part. It’s a British tradition. We've tried to keep a bit of the energy of the movie in our performance and be respectful to that. We've used some of Sean's colours. It’s very simple, to be honest, and it's just a celebration. I think that's the main thing.

GB: Give everyone a rest for two minutes. Think about it, you're not just sat in the audience, you're on telly at any minute, so you've got to be there ready for the camera.

HD: Nice toilet break.

You’ve prepared lasers and balloons as well, right? It sounds like you’re going all out.

MO: I don't know if this is true, but apparently it's the first time the Royal Festival Hall has ever had lasers. We like to bring a little bit of our circus into the BAFTA arena.

You have obviously performed “Greatest Day” so many times at this point. Does it feel any different to be performing it in this context?

GB: You know what's funny, though? We've been in yesterday and did five camera rehearsals. We’ve done a dress rehearsal. [Snaps fingers.] It’s over like that. It’s two minutes and 30 seconds. You're literally walking in, the next minute you're walking off the stage. Is that it?

MO: It’ll be nice tonight to perform to real people, because we've been performing to pictures on chairs.

HD: I mean, we’ll be really disappointed if Demi Moore starts yawning.

MO: When I do my “hold on, hold on”, I’ve got Pamela Anderson here.

Have you met Sean Baker and Mikey Madison?

GB: I went and met Sean and Mikey. As my taxi pulled up, Sean met me out of the taxi, which I thought was sweet. He invited me for a drink.

MO: You came out and went, [singing] “Today this could be!”

GB: Anyway, we went in and we were just talking away. I mean, I was asking him things like, what were the lenses you used? It was so beautifully shot. I'm just interested. And the next minute, the door opened and she walked in.

MO: [Singing]" Today this could be!"

GB: She's like a proper star, she is.

What did she say?

HD: “Is Howard not here?”

GB: She was asking about how long we've been together. I said, “You're never gonna believe this, it’s been 35 years.” [Mikey said] “35 years!? How old are you?” Saying all the right things.

Howard, you said only saw the film four days ago?

HD: I saw it with my two daughters, who are 25 and 19.

GB: He thought it was a PG.

HD: Somebody had told us it’s a more raunchy version of Pretty Woman. I think it's more than that, obviously. I was watching it with them, and the music came and I was so proud. I really didn't know what to expect, and then all of a sudden, you get all these pole dancers and lap dances with the boobs out. “Dad, what are we watching?” It’s gonna get calm in a minute. They loved it so much.

You’re making a documentary with Netflix. What are you hoping to explore that maybe hasn’t been covered before?

HD: People know so much about us, you have to dig a lot deeper. I think it goes a little bit deeper into our personal lives and Take That.

Similar news
News Archive
  • Jessica Alba
    Jessica Alba
    Jessica Alba says she was told to become 'the face of a perfume' instead of launching The Honest Company
    26 Oct 2022
    10
  • Washington Wizards
    Washington Wizards
    Ben Simmons Rumors: 76ers Won't Include Tyrese Maxey in Trade for Bradley Beal | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights
    3 Feb 2022
    9
  • National Grid plc
    National Grid plc
    Stapleford power cut hits hundreds of properties as National Grid aims to restore supply
    20 Jan 2024
    8
  • Ridley
    Ridley
    Ridley, ITV, review: Adrian Dunbar's detective is quintessentially British TV
    28 Aug 2022
    1
  • Anthony Joshua
    Anthony Joshua
    Anthony Joshua disagrees with official score in Tyson Fury vs ...
    22 Dec 2024
    84
  • Munster Rugby
    Munster Rugby
    Proud day for Tipperary's Diarmuid Barron who will lead out Munster for the first time
    10 Nov 2023
    11