Barlow: 'People would sneer at me'

Gary Barlow has admitted that he struggled to come to terms with Take That's split in 1996.

The musician revealed that despite being the band's lead singer and songwriter, a failed solo career made him lose his confidence.

"I was really embarrassed to use my credit card over the phone because when I said 'Gary Barlow' people would just laugh or sneer. Not a good experience at all," he told Q magazine.

Barlow also confessed that he found it "funny" that his Take That doll was 'thrown in' for free if people bought the four others.

"I was never angry about it at all. The Take That dolls didn't sell very well. They go for top money on eBay now. I've got one in my attic. How weird is that? There's got to be a horror movie in that somewhere," he said.

Barlow recently compared his short-lived solo career to having leprosy.