Gary Barlow reveals he had a nervous breakdown following daughter Poppy's tragic stillbirth...as he admits he fainted five times in a week during prescription drug use
Gary Barlow revealed he had a mental breakdown following his daughter Poppy's tragic stillbirth.
The Take That star, 47, admitted he tackled the heart-wrenching news about Poppy in 2012 by focusing on his work, but eventually 'crashed' during his time in LA in 2016.
During the candid interview with The Sun, the singer also shared the effects of his use of prescription drugs, which caused him to faint five times in one week.
![Candid: Gary Barlow revealed he had a mental breakdown following his daughter Poppy's tragic stillbirth](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/06/00/4809614-6245971-image-m-35_1538780793870.jpg)
Candid: Gary Barlow revealed he had a mental breakdown following his daughter Poppy's tragic stillbirth
Gary has three children with his 48-year-old wife Dawn Andrews: Daniel, 18, Emily, 16, and Daisy, nine.
In his autobiography 'A Better Me', the star details the impact of Poppy's death, who was stillborn on August 4, as well as his weight struggles and career.
The Rule The World hitmaker revealed he went into 'overdrive' as he cared for everyone else but himself following the tragic loss of his baby girl, who he hailed a 'light' in his life.
He also admitted he kept his mind preoccupied with work and had 'two phones on the go', until he 'crashed' in LA: 'I basically fell asleep for about 22 hours – I had one of those death sleeps.'
![Heartbreaking: The Take That singer, 47, and his spouse Dawn Andrews, 48, lost Poppy in August 2012 and were given just an hour in hospital to say goodbye to their baby girl](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/06/00/4809620-6245971-image-a-15_1538780529225.jpg)
Sad time: The Take That star, 47, admitted he tackled the heart-wrenching news about Poppy in 2012 by focusing on his work, but eventually 'crashed' during his time in LA in 2016 (with wife Dawn Andrews in 2012)
Following his impressive climb up Mount Kilimanjaro in March 2009, Gary sustained a back injury and was put on Tramadol - the same prescription drug Ant McPartlin was once addicted to.
He confessed that he 'didn't feel like himself' when using the painkiller: 'I was sat on The One Show, and I just looked at James and thought, "I’m going". And I had to go, and literally as my foot went off the bottom of the screen we went over. Crazy.'
Gary also touched on his previous involvement in a tax avoidance scheme, which he described as 'one of the most stupid things I've done', admitting he had to 'grow up'.
While touching on his career, he revealed he went to great lengths to repair his relationship with former Take That member Robbie Williams, following their fallout in 1995.
![Doting father: Gary has three children with Dawn: Daniel, 18, Emily, 16, and Daisy, nine](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/06/02/4809622-6245971-Doting_father_Gary_has_three_children_with_his_48_year_old_wife_-a-21_1538791193017.jpg)
Doting father: Gary has three children with his 48-year-old wife Dawn Andrews: Daniel, 18, Emily, 16, and Daisy, nine
Gary, who reunited with Robbie, 44, on 2010 hit Shame, shared: 'We had a little seance round at his house and we exorcised the demons and we just had a good chat and it was actually a very simple conversation and an apology from both of us, and an argument over who acted the worst.'
He added that he become more considerate about Robbie's mental health issues over time, with the Angels singer often discussing his 'rollercoaster life'.
Robbie battled with his own demons as he checked into rehab in 2007 after taking speed, acid, heroin, cocaine and 'heart-stopping' amounts of prescription drugs.
Gary's interview comes after he spoke out on his past struggle with weight gain and depression on Friday night's episode of The Graham Norton Show, admitting: 'I felt pretty useless.'
![Tough: Following his impressive climb up Mount Kilimanjaro in March 2009, Gary sustained a back injury and was put on Tramadol - the same prescription drug Ant McPartlin was once addicted to](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/06/00/4810438-6245971-image-a-36_1538780853454.jpg)
Tough: Following his impressive climb up Mount Kilimanjaro in March 2009, Gary sustained a back injury and was put on Tramadol - the same prescription drug Ant McPartlin was once addicted to
![Back on: While touching on his career, he revealed he went to great lengths to repair his relationship with former Take That member Robbie Williams, following their fallout in 1995](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/06/00/4810436-6245971-image-a-37_1538780875589.jpg)
Back on: While touching on his career, he revealed he went to great lengths to repair his relationship with former Take That member Robbie Williams, following their fallout in 1995
In the show, which was prerecorded on Thursday, Gary began by reminiscing: 'We had those years in the 90s when everything was 150%.
'We were touring the world, being screamed at and everyone telling us we were brilliant and all of a sudden, I lost my deal, Robbie went off into the sunset and I was left with no job.'
The talented musician admitted that as a result of the abrupt downturn in his life, he became depressed and gained a lot of weight.
![Candid: Gary Barlow (pictured left in 2005 and right this week) opened up about his past struggle with weight gain and depression on Friday night's episode of The Graham Norton Show'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/06/02/4789854-6245971-Candid_Gary_Barlow_pictured_left_in_2005_and_right_this_week_ope-a-22_1538791193020.jpg)
![Candid: Gary Barlow (pictured left in 2005 and right this week) opened up about his past struggle with weight gain and depression on Friday night's episode of The Graham Norton Show'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/06/00/4788900-6245971-Candid_Gary_Barlow_47_opened_up_about_his_past_struggle_with_wei-a-20_1538780626640.jpg)
Candid: Gary Barlow (pictured left in 2005 and right this week) opened up about his past struggle with weight gain and depression on Friday night's episode of The Graham Norton Show'
The singer, who weighed seventeen stone in the wilderness years after Take That, said: 'There was nothing else I was trained for, music is all I have ever done.
'I was a new dad at the time and as a man, I felt pretty useless. I put on a lot of weight and had a lot of depression.
'Looking back, there were some really serious issues but I've enjoyed getting in there and talking about what happened.'
It was only years later that Gary managed to shed the weight, after meeting diet gurus Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley.
![Looking back: He said: 'We had those years in the 90s when everything was 150%... And all of a sudden, I lost my deal, Robbie went off into the sunset and I was left with no job'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/10/06/00/4788898-6245971-Looking_back_He_said_We_had_those_years_in_the_90s_when_everythi-a-22_1538780631926.jpg)
Looking back: He said: 'We had those years in the 90s when everything was 150%... And all of a sudden, I lost my deal, Robbie went off into the sunset and I was left with no job'
He dropped a whopping 18lb after the sisters put him on an 'easily digested' food diet.
And when chatting to Graham Norton about 30 years of Take That and their upcoming Greatest Hits Live tour, he gushed: 'It's amazing. The sets are being built now. It's a great project to be involved in.'
The singer was probed by Jamie as to whether the band will tour in the US, to which he left the door open, answering simply: 'Maybe.'
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