Gary Barlow admits he removed all mirrors from his house amid 17.5st weight battle after Take That split

The Shine hit-maker began binge eating and smoking heavily after going through a rough patch in the late 1990s which saw his weight balloon
Getty Images for ABA
Tina Campbell14 September 2022

Gary Barlow has revealed he removed all mirrors from his house after hating what he saw when his weight shot up to 17.5 stone following the Take That split.

He went through a rough patch in the late 1990s which saw him sink into a depression and begin binge eating and smoking heavily.

Jibes about how his solo career had failed in comparison to super successful former bandmate Robbie Williams didn’t help matters and his weight soon ballooned.

Speaking during his one-man theatre show A Different Stage, seen by the Daily Star, the Cheshire-born star, 51, recalled: “One morning I caught myself in the mirror and I thought, ‘Oh no, I’ve got to do something about this’. So I did, I took down all the mirrors - massive house not one single mirror.”

Gary Barlow originally shot to fame as part of boyband Take That
Getty Images

The Shine hit-maker went on to tell how his biggest weakness was Chinese food “a few times a week,” and how one visit to his local all-you-can-eat-buffet triggered an eating disorder.

He explained: “I slid off to the bathroom and then two fingers as far down the back of the throat as possible and farewell emperor’s special … One year on, I was a professional bulimic … I could be sick in a second.”

The dad-of-three has previously opened up about his weight struggles during an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women.

Speaking on the panel show, he said: “When I gained a lot of weight, I just disliked myself so much.

Gary Barlow circa 2001 when he weighed 16st 11lbs
Gary Barlow

“At the point I decided to lose weight, I wanted to see results and feel better. If the scales are that, use them.”

He emphasised that it’s important to maintain self-confidence during a weight battle, adding: “I don’t believe in weighing yourself every day and beating yourself up. The body doesn’t work like that.”

“You could do nothing wrong and be heavier, the body is a bit like the seasons. It changes throughout the year. So there’s maybe some danger in that.”

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