Jason Orange has spoken out for the first time about his decision to leave Take That, as the remaining trio announce a return of their Circus tour. The band, now consisting of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen, revealed the tour will kick off in 2026, nearly two decades after the original run.
In an interview with The Mirror, the group addressed speculation about a possible reunion with former members. When asked if Orange might rejoin, Gary Barlow said: 'You'd need to ask him. But the door's always open. For everyone. Robbie included. We're a three-piece at the moment, but I'd never say never.' However, he clarified: 'Not on this particular occasion.'
The Circus Live tour originally took place in 2009 with four members, including Orange. Barlow reflected on the passage of time: 'Our daughter was three months old when we toured this. And now she's just done her GCSEs.' Howard Donald noted his two daughters were the same ages as his sons now, calling it 'a full circle moment.'
The trio expressed excitement about reviving the show, with Barlow saying: 'There's no nerves. A lot of excitement. Today is big because we've told people what we're doing! So we've got to go through with it.' He added: 'The discussion that's happened over the last few years is, you know, is it right? Should we be doing this? Is the memory better? But no, actually, we're ready to go and do this again.'
As for circus skills, Donald is dusting off his unicycle, while Owen is considering the high wire. 'I actually thought about the high wire - wouldn't that be amazing?' Owen said. Barlow joked: 'The forward roll is one of my favourites. Listen, I'm limbering up but literally, my tour prep starts tomorrow morning.'
