Re-Take That announce new member ahead of hometown Sunderland Empire show

Re-Take That have recently announced new band member Nick Walton to play the role of Gary Barlow ahead of their 2019/2020 theatre tour, which kicks off at Sunderland Empire on November 2.

Take That and Re-Take That fans alike are normally used to Washington-born Paul Waite taking to the stage as Gary but after over a decade of mimicking the Take That frontman, he has passed the microphone on to vocalist and performer Nick.

Paul said: “The rumours are true but I’ll not be going far! It’s time for me to step off the stage and focus on Re-Take That from behind the scenes and take more of a management and production role.

“It’s bittersweet as I love being in front of the crowds but I can’t think of a better person than Nick to take the reins. Re-Take That tour the country and further afield every weekend of the year. It’s hard work but we are so lucky to be in demand. I’ll always be a part of the band, just not on stage.”

The news came as a shock to some of their 21k strong Facebook fanbase, many of whom have followed the band since they formed 12 years ago. Despite some sad face and shocked emojis, some people took to the page to comment on the brand new Gary, Nick, who has performed with Re-Take That on a few occasions over summer and headlined at a festival last week at Derbyshire County Cricket Club.

Nick has welcomed all of the positive comments. He said: “Paul’s shoes were very hard to fill and I was really nervous about stepping into them. It’s not just the vocals, it’s the mannerisms and all of the attention to detail. It’s taken countless hours in rehearsals but it has paid off. I feel like I have the best job in the universe.”

*Re-Take That are performing at the Sunderland Empire on Saturday, November 2 with their latest production, Take That Greatest Hits - The Singalong. Tickets are on sale here.