Gary Barlow terrified of ballet shoes

Gary Barlow is terrified of ballet pumps.

The Take That singer's phobia of the flat women's footwear is so severe he has banned anyone from wearing the "pug ugly" shoes whilst backstage at the band's 'Circus' tour.

A source said: "Gary can't stand the sight of ballet pumps. It may sound odd but he cannot bear them. He thinks they're incredibly unflattering. In his eyes, even the most attractive woman would be pug ugly if she was wearing pumps.

"At one of their recent after-show parties, a dancer was kicking back in some pastel ballet pumps, and Gary had to leave the room. All 230-odd cast and crew have been told to stick to trainers or heels when not on stage. The other Take That guys find it hilarious."

Gary's hatred of ballet pumps even extends to his wife Dawn's fashion choices.
The 37-year-old star has jokingly threatened to divorce her if she adds another pair of the flat, round-toed shoes to her footwear collection.

The source added to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "His wife Dawn owns a pair and Gary jokes he will divorce her if she buys anymore! He can't be seen with her when she wears them."

Meanwhile, the singer-and-songwriter has revealed the band – also consisting of Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald – are already thinking of ideas for their new album.

Gary said: "We will take a break after the tour then start writing again for the next album in autumn. It would be stupid to stop now wouldn't it? I'm feeling so vibed up. I haven't started writing yet, but we've got ideas."