Take That superfan's 9,000-mile trip from Down Under to see Sunderland show
She’s not Back For Good - but a Take That superfan has travelled from Australia to her home town of Sunderland to see Take That in action.
Nicola Hutchinson has experienced Take That at the Stadium of Light twice before.
One of those occasions was in 2009 when the boy band-turned-national treasures brought their spectacular Circus show to the venue.
Now, as they make a triumphant return with that show 17 years later, Nicola is making a triumphant return of her own because she did not want to missing out on the concert after battling cancer.
As she explains: “I just thought, you know what, I’m 50 this year. I was diagnosed with breast cancer a year and a half ago, so I’ve come out of the other end of that.
“And I thought, I’m doing it, I’m going. I don’t want to sit in Australia watching all the videos and having FOMO.
“That’s what it’s for, life’s too short. I’m going to re-live it.”
Nicola, who will be seeing the show with a group of friends and relatives, moved to Perth with her husband in 2012.
She’s staying with her son and his family at his home in Fulwell.
She has also previously met Take That during their tours in Australia - including during the period she was receiving treatment for cancer.
She says: “I saw them late 2024 in Perth. I was going through chemo at the time, so I had no hair. But I still went, I was front row.”
Of Tuesday’s concert at the Stadium of Light this week, she said: “If I can relive 2009 and be as close, if it’s equally as good as that, it’ll be amazing.”
Don’t forget to follow our coverage of the concert on our www.sunderlandecho.com website and our Sunderland Echo Facebook page.