Gary Barlow dusts off his dabber

The 40-year-old singer revealed that he used to be a bingo caller before finding fame with the band in the early 90s, and said that he's organised games for before and after the shows to help everyone unwind.

He told The Sun, 'I used to be a bingo caller when I was first starting out.

'I used to love reading out the numbers. We have bingo nights backstage on the Take That tour to help everyone relax. We call it Barlow's Bingo.'

Ever the professional, he even has his own kit consisting of a bingo machine, paper and dabbers.

The 40-year-old, who has just started as a judge on the UK X Factor, is also believed to have treated the 160 tour staff with a Samsung tablet computer each.

A source said, 'Gary is a generous man and wanted to show his appreciation for all their hard work.

'It cost him a few bob but it was worth it after seeing the looks on the crew members' faces.

'He's well into his technology and has said he's on hand to help with any queries about using the device.'