Pop star Gary Barlow has spoken out about his eating disorder struggles as he battled “jealousy” and fame in the years that followed his initial success with Take That
10:02, 27 Jan 2026Updated 11:37, 27 Jan 2026
Gary Barlow has spoken out about his eating disorder (Image: Netflix)
Gary Barlow has shared some never before seen photos of his weight struggle, admitting he wanted to ‘crawl into a hole’ after looking unrecognisable from the pop star that found soared to fame with Take That.
The singer songwriter was just a teenager when he was offered a place in the boyband who alongside Robbie Williams, Jason Orange, Howard Donald, and Mark Owen, went on to become one of the best-selling groups of the 1990s.
The band split in 1995, with Robbie going on to enjoy major success as he duetted with Kylie Minogue, and released a string of top-selling singles like Rock DJ, Millennium, and Angels. Seeing his pal have the career he craved, Gary said he was riddled with jealousy.
“I was incredibly competitive so yeah, I think I was jealous. What am I going to do with the rest of my life? Because that’s it with music now. I can’t even walk down the street now without someone shouting something about Robbie to me. It was just so excruciating. You just wanted to crawl into a hole,” he said.
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Gary shot to fame as part of Take That(Image: Getty Images)
The star then used food as a way of trying to get back to a ‘normal life’ after fame (Image: Netflix)
Gary says he began to put weight on as a way of reverting back to the anonymity he had before finding fame as he was so embarrassed to be recognised and compared to his rival.
Speaking in the band’s new Netflix documentary, he said: “There was a period of about 13 months when I didn’t leave the house once. And I also started to put weight on.
“And the more weight I put on the less people would recognise me. I thought ‘This is is good, this is what I’ve been waiting for, living a normal life.’ So I went on a mission. If the food passed me, I’d just eat it… and I killed the pop star!”
Gary then fell into bulimia and would binge eat his way through the evening, eventually getting to a weight of 17 stone before he decided to take back control of things in 2003.
“I would have these nights where I’d eat and eat and eat, but however I felt about myself, I felt ten times worse the day after. One day I thought, I’ve been out, it’s 10 o’clock, I’ve eaten too much, I need to get rid of this food.
Gary eventually got to 17 stone (Image: Netflix)
“You just go off to a dark corner of the house and just throw up, just make yourself sick. You think it’s only once and all of a sudden you’re walking down that corridor again and again – is this it? Is this what I’m going to be doing forever?”
He previously admitted: “It was the day when I just went, “No, I’m not having this anymore, I’m going to change. I want to change and I’m determined that this is not who I’ve become.”
‘It only took a few years to get that low, but it took me years to get back to who I wanted to be. 10 years probably.”
The new photos appear in the new documentary on Netflix (Image: Netflix)
“It only took a few years to get that low, but it took me years to get back to who I wanted to be – 10 years probably,” he continued, as per reports.
If you think you are suffering from bulimia, it’s crucial to seek help from a GP. Advice from the NHS explains: “If you see a GP about symptoms of bulimia, they’ll ask you about your eating habits, how you’re feeling and your physical symptoms. It can be very hard to talk about what you’re going through, but getting help gives you the best chance of recovery.
The star now appears in the new Take That documentary on Netflix where he bravely opens up about his struggles (Image: Getty Images)
“Your GP may ask to weigh you. You can tell your GP if you do not want to know how much you weigh. If they think you have bulimia or another eating disorder, they will refer you to an eating disorder specialist or team of specialists.
“It may make things easier if you bring someone you trust with you to your appointment.”
If you are suffering with disordered eating, help is available. Contact your GP, or call Beat Eating Disorders – open Monday-Friday, 3:00pm-8:00pm. For urgent mental health help, click here
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