Jayne Middlemiss opens up about 'unbelievable' experience covering Take That split

Virgin Radio

13 Feb 2024, 14:59

Jayne Middlemiss has opened up about her memories of covering Take That’s “unbelievable” break up 28 years ago.

The radio host was presenting The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch and celebrating Robbie Williams’ 50th birthday when she began reminiscing about his former band’s split, which happened on this day (13th February) in 1996.

While Williams had already left the band a year earlier, Take That announced they were all going their own ways on 13th February 1996 at a Manchester-based press conference which Jayne herself attended on behalf of former music magazine show The O-Zone.

“There was a big announcement that we had to go to Manchester. I was flown up to Manchester on a plane - not a private one, that would be ridiculous,” Jayne revealed to listeners of the early-morning show.

“So we get up there and I’m in a press conference room, and I was such a rock chick at the time. Take That all come in and Gary Barlow goes, you know, ‘This is it, we’re breaking up.’ And I was like- I was a bit nonplussed! I was like: ‘Whatever.’” she explained.

“Because I was a rock chick I was feeling really sanctimonious about, you know, ‘They haven’t got guitars’, but my producer nudged me like ‘Ask a question!’ so I had to put my hand up at the press conference, and I asked them a question.”

She continued: “What I hadn’t realised [was] the impact that that announcement had had on all of the kids who loved them, because I then had to go on TV in the afternoon and talk about how they are and how they’re gonna get through this splitting up.

“It was unbelievable,” Jayne stressed. “It was a proper moment in music history, 27 [sic] years ago today. I could not believe it.”

Jayne admitted she hadn’t realised the Robbie Williams birthday connection about the conference before, pondering out loud on Tuesday morning’s show: “I’m thinking, was that a sort of subliminal message to him and to the fans that they’re together?”

Wishing the pop star a happy 50th birthday, Jayne said: “There’s a picture of him in The Sun newspaper today from when he first joined Take That in 1991. He was 17 years old… he looks like a baby and he is! He’s 17.

“Imagine handling all that fame at that age,” she added. “But he’s pulled right through. That documentary he’s got on Netflix is unbelievable, it’s one of my favourite music documentaries of last year. 

“He just really is so honest, and you can tell he’s done the work on himself, because of what he’s been through with his addictions and everything. And he’s just done it. I’m so happy for him.”

For more great stories and interviews, listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.