Gary Barlow refuses to slow down as he prepares to release Take That's 10th studio album and embark on biggest tour in years despite struggling with age-related challenges

He has had a busy start to the year following a physically and emotionally challenging Circus tour with his Take That bandmates.

And despite confessing the tour took a toll on him, Gary Barlow isn't slowing down anytime soon.

Onlookers were surprised to see Barlow looking so tired and drawn this week when he visited the Michelin-starred Dorian restaurant in Notting Hill.

Yet friends told the Daily Mail that ‘all is fine’ with Barlow, with one describing the photographs as 'unflattering', adding that Barlow is 'fit for 55'.

Indeed, Barlow is preparing to test his fitness levels when Take That embark on their biggest European tour to date.

Barlow and his bandmates Mark Owen, 54, and Howard Donald, 58, are releasing their 10th studio album, called Dreamers, on November 20.

The band are going back on the road in 2027 for their Dreamers Tour, with 31 shows in 31 cities across 16 countries - including more shows yet to be announced.

It will kick off on June 3 in Switzerland, before they visit Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, France, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Austria.

They will then wrap up with a final date in Germany on July 23.

But the upcoming tour may have come at a tricky time for Barlow, who recently opened up about his suffering with age-related hurdles. 

Barlow took some time out this summer to enjoy a family holiday in Mexico following a brutal run of Circus tour shows which ended in July.

The star had confessed that the Circus tour took a toll on him, and he could 'never physically do the shows again'.

Sharing a candid post on Instagram, Barlow penned: '…And breathe. Thanks for your patience on here. I don't like posting unless I really have something to say. Content for content's sake is rubbish.

'I'm fully out of the tour bubble now and back on the road to getting this new Take That album finished and delivered. Deadlines can be a good thing sometimes. 

'Making albums is never easy, and when you're near the end it can be dangerous because you start second-guessing everything. Have no fear, we're nearly there.

'I've also seen some very exciting plans for our European fans. We've got big things coming your way that we're all incredibly excited about.

'I'm continuing to stay active and keep fit post-tour, and I'm enjoying having the time to do it.

'It's also nice to have some downtime with the family. We finally took a holiday and had the best time @oneandonlypalmilla what a spot.'

Following Take That's final show in Dublin in July, Barlow took to X to pen an emotional statement where he admitted age-related challenges would prevent him from doing the same tour again.

However, he went on to say that the tour, which he performed with Donald and Owen, was their 'best ever'.

Barlow wrote: 'Best tour ever – to say that 35 years into our career is saying something #circuslive.'

He then went on to add: 'And another tour comes to a close. Somehow, this one feels a little different. 

'With the other tours, it's always comforting to know there will almost definitely be a next time. But I'm pretty sure this tour won't return. 

'I was 38 when we originally did this show, and I have to say it's been a whole other challenge doing it as a 55-year-old.  I just can't see a way I could physically do this show again.

'So, it's with an extremely heavy heart that I leave The Circus in my past. I got to run away with The Circus twice.'  

Barlow will be pulling out all the stops to mentally and physically prepare himself for next year's gruelling tour. 

Last year, Barlow visited luxury wellness clinic Lanserhof at The Arts Club, where annual memberships start at £6,500 plus a £1,500 joining fee. 

Documenting his experience on Instagram, he could be seen wearing a VO2 max mask as he jogged on a treadmill, dressed down in casual workout gear.

Another snap showed him running again, this time captioned: '6 months to go to the Circus Tour' along with a clown and flexed-bicep emoji.

He then shared a photo of himself with a tube in his arm as he appeared to have his bloods checked, writing: 'No pain no gain'.

Meanwhile, in other photos, Gary checked his health stats on a screen mid-run and tested the strength of his leg muscles on a Biodex leg-extension machine.

He rounded things off by sharing the results of his spine lab assessment, joking: 'Still in one piece' alongside several crying and laughing emojis.

Gary admitted he was struggling with the emotional fallout from The Circus Live tour earlier this year.

In a candid Instagram video, the singer said he felt like he'd 'fallen off a cliff' since the revived run ended at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on July 4.

He told fans: 'GB here. I've been trying to make this video for a few weeks, and it's not been easy. I must say that this tour has thrown me slightly.

'Whenever we come off tour, it always feels a little bit of an anticlimax.

'The whole thing, but for some reason, I don't know whether it was just because it just felt so celebratory doing the circus again and it seems to have gone down so well that it just feels like I've completely fallen off a cliff since the end of the show.'

He continued: 'So I've been meaning to make this video for a few weeks, but I finally have got round to it today.

'I forced myself to do it because I just want to check in on everyone and make sure everyone's okay with the post-tour blues.

'It's a really funny one. I don't know whether it's because as the years go by and the tours become more and more important to us or to me anyway.

'I'm always sad at the end of a tour and particularly this one. I just thought it was absolutely joyous, the whole thing, and I'm fully aware of how much everybody enjoyed it, and we did have our questions.

'However, we didn't need to worry about a thing because it all went great. Everybody survived. A great time was had, and we are able to move onwards with smiles on our faces and our hearts full of happiness. It was just brilliant.

'What a wonderful year this has been so far, with Netflix in January and all the build-up to the first couple of releases from the new record, and then this circus tour.

'Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thank you everybody that joined us and we'll see you for the next installment, which isn't far away now.'