Gary Barlow was "scared" of drugs.
Gary Barlow never turned to drugs
The Take That frontman hit a career low when he was just 29 years old and he was left without a record deal, and although he resorted to binge eating, he insisted he never turned to illegal substances because his former bandmate Robbie Williams' own experiences had acted as a deterrent.
He reflected: "I was disappointed in myself.
"Drugs weren't involved. [Possible because] Robbie's drug thing scared me, maybe because of the upbringing in Frodsham, they weren't around."
The 50-year-old star knew he had to pull himself up from rock bottom.
He said: "I turned my mind into gear and went: that's it."
Gary's ups and downs are chronicled in his new one-man show 'A Different Stage', which he wants to be a "celebration" of his dad Colin, who passed away in 2009, aged 71.
And the production already has a fan in his mother Marjorie, who told her son: "[It's] much better than a bench for your dad."
The show also looks at the tragic stillbirth of his and wife Dawn's fourth child Poppy in 2012, with his 2013 track 'Let Me Go' dedicated to his baby, and Gary admitted the track is healing and he enjoys the positive reaction from his fans.
He told the Daily Mail newspaper columnist Baz Bamigboye: "I think: that's the song I wanted for our daughter. Not the one that makes people cry. The one that makes people jump up and down."
The 'Flood' singer was "terrified" when he first started work on the project - but that was the biggest attraction for him.
He said: "That's what drew me.
"It's thrilling to be terrified It's easy to just stay in a safe place. I've always been playing with fire, I guess."
Tagged in Robbie Williams Gary Barlow Take That