How a superfan got invited on stage with Gary Barlow in Sunderland

Sacha McNeill, 39, was invited up on stage at the Sunderland Empire where she was serenaded by Gary to the tune of his Take That hit, A Million Love Songs.

The star has been inviting fans up on stage during his solo tour for the ballad, and Sacha was lucky enough to catch his eye with her banner which read “Look into the future, this is what I see, Gary singing A Million Love Songs to Me.”

She joined Gary on his piano stool, snapping selfies as he performed his 1992 hit.

Mum-of-two Sacha, from Middlesbrough, said: “I’d seen that he’d been inviting fans up on stage for the song and I’d managed to get tickets for the stalls, so I made a banner and thought I’d give it a go.

“It was an amazing feeling to be chosen by him. I first went to see Take That when I was 11 and that was it, I was a Gary fan.”

Speaking about the solo tour, which sees Gary perform at more intimate venues, she said: “It was an absolutely epic show, very intimate. It felt like he was giving something back to all the fans who’ve followed him all these years.”

Gary played to capacity crowds of 2,000 for each night of his Empire shows, which sold out minutes after going on sale last year.

As well as his solo material, fans were treated to a host of Take That tracks including Pray, Relight My Fire, Never Forget and Back for Good.

Read our review of the show here.