"I went to see them when I was 9!" Zoe Birkett in 90s heaven as she gets set to tour with Take That
North East singer and former Pop Idol star Zoe Birkett with play a huge role in Take That's new Circus tour
Zoe Birkett has admitted to being stood in rehearsals this week and regressing back to her nine-year-old self, as she gets ready to open a tour with Take That - the group she first saw in concert back in the early 90s. And now, more than 30 years after seeing the nation's favourite boyband live, she's ready to join them on stage to play a huge role in their epic new live show.
Anyone who went to Take That's Circus tour when it stopped off at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland back in 2009 will testify that it was one of the most spectacular tours to ever arrive in the region, perhaps only topped by Take That's own Progress stadium tour a few years later. Well now, The Circus is back for 2026 with Gary, Mark and Howard ready to not only recreate the magic of 17 years ago but take it up a few notches, as they prepare for opening night at St Mary's in Southampton on Friday.
Having fallen in love with them as a child and learned all the dance moves in front of the TV, Zoe will be right there with them to seize the spotlight for one of the biggest numbers of the whole thing - Relight My Fire. Take That's cover of the 70s classic from Dan Hartman took them to number 1 back in 1993 and now Zoe will sing the part of the song originally made famous by Lulu, as she follows in the footsteps of other powerhouse vocalists like Beverley Knight and the late Loletta Holloway.
We caught up with County Durham born performer Zoe for ChronicleLive on the eve of opening night and she was happy to tell us she'd been in an almost constant state of 'goosebumps' all week at getting to work with Take That. "My dad took me to see Take That on their Take That and Party tour when I was nine; they were my first concert so this is huge and having to keep it secret was hard!" she excitedly enthused.
"People keep asking me if I'm alright and I'm not sure I am, but they're all such lovely men, proper Northern lads and they've made me feel so welcome. They're already calling me 'Our Zo' which is surreal, but honestly it's like singing with friends, albeit on one of the biggest stages in the world!"
Zoe wasn't allowed to give away too much about what to expect from The Circus 2026 but what she could tell us was that there are new elements to the show that weren't there in '09 and that things that were have now been "heightened" thanks to some "amazing changes" being made.
She also teased a pretty spectacular entrance for her big moment as well as being in love with the "so hot and bougie" stage outfits that have been created for her. Getting to do the tour has ended up being a bit of a full circle moment with Zoe, with it giving her the opportunity to work with people from her 00s days when she became a household name on Pop Idol.
And of course, for proud North East lass Zoe, nothing excites her more than the prospect of getting to play on home turf, meaning the tour date at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Tuesday, June 9 can't come quick enough.
"I absolutely cannot wait for it! she declared. "There were so many people who already had tickets before I was announced and then loads who've bought tickets since. And I've got a day off before and one after before we go up to Glasgow, so it'll be great to spend some time at home."
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