As Take That continue touring the UK on their 2026 Circus tour, a superfan opens up on the reality of supporting the band
Take That are back on the road for their The Circus Live tour, with Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen returning to London on June 26th. To mark the occasion, Charlotte Pethers, 41, reveals the ways in which she has incorporated Take That in every aspect of her life, including inviting the group to her wedding day.
Opening up to online slots site Betway about the reality of being a superfan for the last 30 years, Charlotte reflects on feeling devastated while watching the conference announcing when the band split in 1996. She also shares her thoughts on Robbie Williams parting from the group, stating that whenever he reunites with the boys, it becomes ‘the Robbie show’.
How does listening to Take That make you feel? Do you listen every day?
Listening to them is a part of my daily routine, if I’m not listening to them, I’m thinking about putting them on. My all-time favourite is Never Forget. The music video means a lot to me too, because you’re seeing real fans crying and chasing after the bus. It fills me with so much emotion. When I got married, we had a violinist playing Greatest Day. Every part of my life, I have tried to incorporate Take That in one way or another. I also had Rule the World for one of our dances at the wedding, which is another one of my favourites.
Do people ever judge you for being a fan?
You get that all the time, but I couldn’t care less. They mean so much to me, and I would never look badly on it because of a few comments here and there. If fans are affected by that, they obviously aren’t in it for the right reasons! I’ve had family members who have regularly taken the mick out of me, but I just tell them to shut up! At the end of the day, no one can actually say anything bad about them, because look at how far they’ve come. It’s water off a duck’s back.
Do you think the band are better with or without Robbie?
I loved him when he was a part of Take That. I couldn’t forgive him when he left, but when he joined them on occasion again, it turned into the Robbie show. Instead of it being Take That again – it’s Take That, with Robbie. It feels as though there are two different versions of Take That when Robbie is with them and when Robbie isn’t a part of it.
Would you love to see them reunite as a five?
It would only be for a concert anyway – I can’t see him reuniting properly with the band. It is nice to see them back together as that’s how it all began. Obviously, it’s sad about Jason; everyone wants Jason to come back, but it’s clear he doesn’t want to be in the limelight anymore. But I can say they do well as they are.
How much money have you spent on the band as a fan?
I dread to think how much money I have spent in total over the years! I’ve been to all their concerts after they got back together, apart from the original Circus tour. I’ve spent so much on merch, mugs and t-shirts. For every concert, I would get a t-shirt made so I would have something unique from the night. I’ve never made signs because I’ve never been close enough to the stage, but I do Take That nails every time without fail. I will wear face paint. Last time, I wore Take That leggings. I’ve also got a custom-made varsity jacket, which I love to bits.
How difficult was it getting tickets this year?
I did struggle. It’s never easy getting tickets, the websites always crash and it’s all very stressful. I remember when we used to pay for tickets over the phone, and phone lines would always cut out due to the demand. We all go crazy for tickets when they’re announced. They all sell out so quickly. We’re seeing them on Friday, 27th June at London Stadium in Stratford. They do presale now, which makes it even harder. If I can’t get one date, I’ll try another, so I’m glad I managed to get some. But sometimes you don’t get the best seating options with presale. I would be absolutely devastated if I didn’t get tickets. It would ruin my year, and I would do anything to get my hands on some.
How do you feel about the pricing for concerts now?
If the prices had stayed the same, I would have spent even more than I have! But the cost of living has impacted people a lot when it comes to being a fan. You just can’t afford to do as much as you were able to back in the day. What is hard is when they announce a tour or a concert with such little notice, so you only have a week or so to budget that. Whereas, if I knew months ahead, I could try to save a bit more money ahead of time and perhaps go to one or two more.
How do you feel when the show is over?
Oh my god, it’s the worst but best feeling in the world! Obviously, you’re on such a high from seeing them, and the show is amazing, but then it’s all over. You’re waiting for so long to see them, and then you’re waiting for them to come on, and then it’s all over in a flash. You’re just thinking about how long you’ll have to wait until the next one. As soon as the concert is finished, I will put their music on in the car, I can’t not! All throughout the day, I’ll be playing them as well. When it is over, you’re feeling so happy, but then it hits you so suddenly.
Tell me about how you felt when they first split back in the 90s?
When they split up, I cried my eyes out. I was at home watching the news conference, and I was absolutely devastated. At the time, I was too young to go to see them the first time around. Take That were my world when I was growing up, so I will always remember how I felt when the news broke.
How did you feel when they got back together?
I always hoped they would get back together, and when they did I was so happy. I went to all of their concerts except for the Circus tour, as my brother was getting married. So now they’re doing the Circus one again, I’m so relieved as I can actually see it this time around. Their tours are like no other. They put on a proper show and we’re so lucky to be seeing all of that when we go to see them. There’s always something unexpected or something you haven’t seen before.
What makes them so good all these years later? What do you think the future looks like for them?
Gary has always said that as long as the fans want them there, they will keep going. Their music is always evolving; you have their classics, but they want to keep making music which keeps them going strong. I absolutely love the way they have incorporated club music within their artistry – I wish they would do more of this, as they’re so much fun to sing and dance to. It pumps up the audience. I was hoping their new song would be a bit clubbier. Their music just never fails. They always manage to do something different, and it always works. They change their style to go along with the times, so it’s never going to fall out of place. They sing about real life and are opposed to other artists now, which is very repetitive. Take That songs have real meaning.
What lengths have you gone to to show how much of a fan you are?
I’ve had a tattoo done, even though I was scared of getting a tattoo done before that, and I don’t regret it one bit. I’m not sure whether I’d get another one, but never say never. I also invited the boys to my wedding in Turkey, but I never heard back from them!
Any songs you secretly don’t like?
There have been songs I haven’t liked, but because it’s Take That, I will just listen to them until I like them. There aren’t any songs I don’t like now because I’ve trained myself to like them! I will just listen to them constantly until I do like them. I wasn’t very keen on Wooden Boat, which took me a while to warm to. But a lot of them are easy to love over time. You only have to listen a few times, and they’re in your head within a few days.
Do you like the other Take That fans, or is there a bit of competition?
I’ve met so many friends through the fandom. Years ago, I was in a Take That Facebook group and a group of us decided to exchange Take That Christmas presents. We bought each other Take That gifts, and it was such a nice thing to do together. I had a Take That mug that I still use to this day. But what other fanbase would do that? I was once in a car park, and obviously, I have the Take That number plate, as well as stickers, which have spurred on many conversations from random people, where fans will come up to me and start chatting to me, which is really nice.
