By OLIVIA KEMP, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER and AMELIA WYNNE, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
He spent his summer performing alongside fire-breathers, trapeze artists and a 30ft mechanical elephant.
But Gary Barlow looked almost unrecognisable away from the spectacle of Take That’s Circus tour as he stepped out in London on Sunday.
Clean-shaven and dressed down in an oversized black jumper and loose-fitting trousers, the singer, 55, arrived for lunch at the Michelin-starred Dorian restaurant in Notting Hill.
Friends told the Daily Mail that ‘all is fine’ with Barlow, who was joined by wine expert and social media star Tom Gilbey.
One friend described the photographs as 'unflattering', adding that Barlow is 'fit for 55'.
The singer completed his understated all-black outfit with a trendy £78 baseball cap from the American brand Alo and white Adidas trainers.
Gary Barlow looked almost unrecognisable away from the spectacle of Take That’s Circus tour as he stepped out in London on Sunday
Friends told the Daily Mail that ‘all is fine’ with Barlow, who was joined by wine expert and social media star Tom Gilbey
Barlow's leisurely lunch came three months after he completed Take That’s gruelling Circus Live tour alongside his bandmates Howard Donald, 58, and Mark Owen, 54
Barlow and Gilbey have previously joined forces to film a blind taste test of Barlow’s own rosé, while last year they toured some of Bordeaux’s most prestigious vineyards together.
Their leisurely lunch came three months after Barlow completed Take That’s gruelling Circus Live tour alongside his bandmates Howard Donald, 58, and Mark Owen, 54.
The physically demanding production featured dancers, trapeze artists, clowns, tightrope walkers and roller skaters, while the trio even joined in with a unicycle stunt.
A reboot of the group’s lavish 2009 stadium show, it also boasted a floating hot-air balloon, a giant mechanical elephant and an ensemble of 260 performers.
The original Circus tour – which accompanied Take That’s 2008 album of the same name – became the fastest-selling in UK history at the time after its first eight dates sold out in less than five hours.
This summer’s revival went ahead without former bandmate Jason Orange, 56, who left the group in 2014, and ended at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on July 4.
Following the final show, Barlow hailed it as Take That’s ‘best tour ever’.
He wrote on social media: ‘Best tour ever – to say that 35 years into our career is saying something.
‘I got to run away with The Circus twice. Now I’m running towards our next exciting, brand new show.’
Barlow will soon be back in the spotlight as Take That prepare to release their tenth studio album, Dreamers, on November 20.
The group will perform the record at a one-off show at the London Palladium a week earlier before returning to the road for a European tour next summer.