Nineties pop star looks worlds away from his baby-faced boyband fame as he arrives in Australia – can you guess who?
A NINETIES pop heart-throb looked worlds away from his boyband heyday as he stepped out in Australia.
The British chart star, 52, who has also forged a successful solo career, donned all-black sports gear and sunglasses as he enjoyed a sunny stroll.
Yet Mark Owen fans were left taking a second glance at the Take That singer’s almost unrecognisable appearance.
The Could It Be Magic hitmaker was seen enjoying some downtime in Perth before the band’s first gig in Australia in seven years.
He left his brunette hair in a poker-straight style, with his fringe falling over his eyes.
Later in the night, he joined Howard Donald and Gary Barlow on-stage at the RAC Arena as the Manchester-based band delighted the crowds Down Under with their This Life tour.
Yet he cut a strikingly different figure to 1990, when he was a fresh-faced star starting out in what was then a five-piece group.
At the time, the band then included Robbie Williams and Jason Orange.
Back then, he sported a much shorter hairstyle with a curtain parting.
Over the years, he has favoured a longer hairstyle and stubble, and often spotted sporting a moustache.
Mark – who also previously found further fame with solo track Four Minute Warning – also switched up his signature sunny smile for a stern expression during his morning walk.
POP-ULAR STARS
Shortly before the band entertained the crowds in Western Australia, fans had spotted the “secret trick” the band use to remember the lyrics to their “worst song.”
We recently exclusively recently reported how the Back For Good singers had a teleprompter for the lyrics as they belted out I Found Heaven.
The track was from their debut album and peaked at No 15 in 1992.
Gary, 53, once said the song — not written by them — was “f*****g awful” and their worst “by a huge margin.”
The prompter also had a prepared address about the band’s beginnings, reading: “Manchester back in the late ’80s, early ’90s was definitely the place to be.”
Meanwhile, further behind the scenes secrets have also come to light.
Tickets for the 41-date This Life tour saw nearly all gigs sold out in minutes.
It’s the band’s first tour in five years, and while this is their 13th tour — this time celebrating their ninth No1 album This Life — The Sun can reveal how fans lucky to bag a ticket will never have seen anything like this.
It’s the first time since their 1993 The Party tour that the group have appeared alone on stage, without their band or dancers front and centre.
Mark previously told us: “We are almost tearing up all the old shows for now, and that’s a bit scary.
“But it feels like the right time for a new challenge.
“There are a lot of firsts happening with this show.
“A white stage, no cast — it feels like the right time to do this.”