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Jason Orange of Take That fame has reportedly launched a new and unexpected career.
The former pop singer, 55, left the spotlight in favour of a more conventional life back in 2014.
Take That was originally comprised of Gary Barlow, 54, Howard Donald, 57, Robbie Williams, 51, and Mark Owen, 53, as well as Orange.
Fans have been speculating whether Orange will be rejoining the band as they prepare to take their Circus Live tour back on the road next summer, including two hometown dates in Manchester.
Ahead of releasing their 10th studio album towards the end of 2026, they will play shows at stadiums across the UK and Ireland, starting in Southampton on 29 May and finishing in Dublin on 4 July.
For now, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up that Orange will perform on the tour – though a surprise appearance isn’t totally off the table.
‘You’d need to ask him,’ Barlow told The Mirror when asked about the possibility of Orange’s return.
‘But the door’s always open. For everyone. Robbie included. We’re a three-piece at the moment, but I’d never say never. Because this band always surprises me. But not on this particular occasion.’
As it turns out, Orange is too busy to join in on the tour. He’s been keeping things low-key in recent years, leaving music behind entirely and entering the property business with Celtic football legend Neil Lennon.
A source told The Sun: ‘Jason and Neil have known each other for a fair while and played in a charity football game together some years back.’
They continued: ‘Neil has a firm and Jason has come on board.
‘Jason prefers to live a quiet life out of the spotlight but has got a real flair for property.’
Apparently, Orange has customers raving about his ‘lovely’ and ‘professional’ manner.
Orange was originally in the band between 1990 and 1996 and reunited with them all, minus Williams, in 2005.
However, in 2014, he announced he was officially leaving the group for good and has rarely been seen or heard from since.
When announcing his departure from the band, he told fans: ‘I want to start by saying how proud I am of what we have achieved together over the years.’
‘I have spent some of the best years of my life with Take That and I’d like to thank everyone who has been a part of my journey, including my bandmates, who I feel are like brothers to me,’ he added.
He was the second member of the group to exit, with Williams famously leaving to pursue a solo career in 1995. Since 2014, Barlow, Owen, and Donald have continued as a trio.
Owen told The Times in June 2023: ‘I think [Jason] felt like he didn’t want to do it any more, but I’m not going to speak for him’.
‘He’s still here anyway. The other day we were trying to work out who the best joke-teller in the band is and remembered how Jason always laughed before he got to the punchline.’
Press attention regarding the upcoming Take That documentary has revealed that the other band members have reportedly struggled to contact Orange in recent years.
Barlow admitted recently that he and his bandmates only hear from him sporadically nowadays. He stated that it comes as a surprise, as there is no real reason for the lack of contact.
‘It’s a tricky one with Jay. I almost think if there had been a big argument it would be easier, but there wasn’t,’ he added.
‘He just wanted a change in his life. But he does keep an eye on us. And it’s nice to know that.’
Donald added that Orange is ‘difficult to get a hold of’ even when he does reach out.
‘He’ll send an email saying, “I wish you all the success in the world”. And then the next day you try replying to it and it’s a no-reply email address,’ he said.
Set to tell the inside story of the British boy band, the special will be directed by Bafta-nominated director David Soutar and produced by Gabe Turner.
While it’s been confirmed that Barlow, Owen, and Donald will give exclusive interviews and Williams will reportedly even share some insights, it’s currently unknown if Orange will participate in the project.
Speaking to The Sun, an inside source said the special initially would only use archive interviews from the former boy band member, but the plan has since changed.
‘There’s hope he could be persuaded to take part in the present day, which would be a real coup,’ the source said.
‘The special is still in its early stages, and Fulwell 73 has yet to formally approach him, but this could change when the project starts to take shape and the lads have managed to work their magic.’
It remains to be seen whether Orange will continue to avoid all things Take That and focus on his newfound career – but fans are still holding out hope.
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