Jason Orange looked unrecognisable as he made a lowkey outing in Hale, Cheshire, while his former bandmates Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen continue Take That's The Circus Live summer 2026 tour. The singer, who left the band in 2014, was seen wearing a casual dark blue sweatshirt and jeans, with sunglasses on his head, carrying a backpack as he strolled through the quiet village. The sighting came just hours after Take That finished their Manchester run of tour dates.
Jason Orange's Exit from Take That
Orange shocked fans when he departed Take That in 2014, stating he no longer wished to be part of the band but insisting there was no ill will. In their recent Netflix documentary, Gary Barlow revealed: "I knew this was enough for him. I knew Jason was leaving. I think he'd found it hard coming back. I feel like he'd enjoyed the success, but he didn't want it forever. I felt like to keep Jason, we've got to get Rob." Howard Donald added: "Oh, Jason promoted it quite heavy. The fact that he wanted to do this thing with Robbie. He worked together, five of us back together, make everything hunky dory."
Band Members Reflect on Jason's Decision
Following the Progress tour in 2011, Orange left and Robbie Williams returned to his solo career. Howard Donald said of that moment: "After that last show, Jason sat us all down and said, 'Listen, I don't want to be the band anymore. And I think I'm done.' But it was really sad, because Jason felt like one of my best friends. I felt like we had so much in common. We're from council houses and big families, down to earth people. I'd had many laughs with him and made me laugh so many times, but it was a scary time, because I almost felt like I was going back to 96 again."
Mark Owen previously shared his worries that the band could "end tomorrow" despite decades of fame. Praising his "brave" former bandmates Robbie and Jason, he said: "I think Rob and Jason made brave decisions. We still think it could end tomorrow and we go back to the day job. Working full on for six years and then all of a sudden it stops... I spent a lot of depressing mornings watching This Morning." Howard added: "Losing Jason was a tough time for the three of us... Even though I knew it was coming. I feel like he'd had enough of the fame and being recognised."
Take That's Current Tour
Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen are currently performing on The Circus Live – Summer 2026 tour, which has wowed fans across huge stadiums for weeks. The tour kicked off at Southampton's St Mary's stadium and includes multiple dates across the UK.
