EXCLUSIVE: From 1994 to 1996, make-up artist Tally Bookbinder was an integral part of Take That’s entourage, accompanying the five-piece on photoshoots, tour dates and TV appearances across Europe
Tally worked with Take That as their personal makeup artist in the early nineties
Makeup artist Tally Bookbinder enjoyed an exclusive and exciting two-year stint within Take That’s intimate circle during the mid-90s, gaining extraordinary access to their world. She travelled alongside Gary, Mark, Jason, Howard and Robbie for photo sessions, concert performances and television slots throughout Europe, observing their stratospheric ascent to stardom and offering guidance as mounting pressures started affecting them.
Below, Manchester native Tally opens up exclusively about her intimate encounters with the five-piece, reflecting on what she calls the most “mind-blowing and incredible” period of her professional journey…
“Looking back, I probably had one of the most envied jobs in the country. I was Take That ‘s personal make-up artist from 1994 to 1996 and it really was the most unforgettable experience of my career.
“I travelled the world with the band. One day I’d be doing their hair and make-up for Top Of The Pops , and the next I was painting a tattoo on Howard’s chest. I was even responsible for getting them camera-ready for the Back For Good music video, which famously shows the group dancing and singing in the rain. Sadly, I got so soaked during the three-day shoot that I actually caught bronchial pneumonia!”
The boys – pictured here on a plane in the nineties – had ‘no egos’, Tally says
“It all started back when I was working as a make-up artist for their manager Nigel Martin-Smith’s agency and he asked me to do a trial with Take That, which meant flying to Italy with them the following week. I was only 26 at the time, and remember checking with my parents first. They were a bit concerned about me travelling on my own with five young pop stars but they trusted me to make the right decision. I’ve done so many incredible things in my career, but saying yes to Nigel that day is still the best decision I’ve ever made.
“When I got to Italy and walked into my hotel room in Rome, I saw a handwritten note from the boys that said: ‘Tally, welcome to Italy! We’re sitting downstairs in the bar, come and have a drink with us!’ I have to admit, at that point I s**t myself. It was a complete fan-frenzy in the lobby, I’d never seen anything like it, but as soon as I walked over to the boys they put me at ease and were excited that I was from Manchester too.”, reports the Mirror.
“The fans in Italy were wild and there were so many girls wherever we went. I was genuinely concerned that someone might get run over because they would throw themselves in front of our cars.”
Tally had the most envied job as a decade, helping Take That get stage and photo-ready(Image: Getty Images)
Tally says her makeup chair was a safe space for Mark Owen and the rest of the Take That boys
“After the flight back to the UK, Mark kindly offered to give me a lift home and needed to pop in to use the loo when we got to mine. I was living with my sister at the time, and the next morning she said to me, ‘I could have sworn I heard Mark Owen ‘s voice in the middle of the night’. I replied, ‘I’ve got news for you – you did!’. She was mortified because there hadn’t been a new toilet in that house since about 1940 – we were in the middle of a huge renovation!
“The trial went well and I was thrilled when Mark told me I’d got the job. I think they just wanted someone they could trust, someone who was on their side. I had a laugh with them, but I was professional and didn’t overstep the mark. I really liked them all and didn’t have a favourite – or fancy any of them, I promise! They were all quite different but their chemistry together was gorgeous. They would sit in my make-up chair and say things like, ‘Tal, I’ve got this big spot that needs covering’, or ‘Have you got any paracetamol because I’ve got a headache?’ I was a bit like their mum.
“Being in that chair was one of the few times they could just sit still and chill out. They were heartthrobs, but they honestly didn’t see themselves that way – there were no egos.”
Tally became a friend and confidante to the Manchester boys
“I was definitely the envy of some of their fans. They’d stop me at airports or hotels and ask me for the strangest things – mostly used make-up sponges and tissues! They wanted something that had physically touched the boys.
“We’d get our daily schedules via fax machine and in a single day it could be a live TV show in Amsterdam, followed by a studio recording, live radio interview, and three sit-down magazine interviews. I was exhausted just reading them. They’d go from one place to the next without coming up for air.
“There was a lot of multi-tasking too. Their glamorous costume lady, Bonnie, who they all adored, wouldn’t come on the European dates, so she’d give me all their outfits to take. She labelled them Jason – Monday, Jason – Tuesday, and so on. I’d hang the clothes up in my hotel room, all organised, like you do when you’re travelling with kids!
“They were all so easy to work with, but I had a real affinity with Robbie because we had a mutual friend. When he was in Manchester he’d sometimes come to my dad Brian’s nightclub, Bookbinders. My dad was a saxophone player and he’d ask Robbie what he’d like him to play – the first time he chose Mack the Knife . I lost my dad 21 years ago and I adored him, so those are very precious memories.
“Jason was a very deep thinker and he used to love poetry, as did Mark. The two of them were very spiritual, and I was always in awe of them being so calm amid the chaos. Robbie was probably the chaos, but I loved that energy too – he was just a bit daft and goofy, and always made everybody laugh.
“Their break-up didn’t happen overnight. It was a gradual thing, but when you’re all living and working together and you have a job to do, you just get on with it, and there isn’t time for deep and meaningful conversations. By the end, it felt like all my mates had fallen out and weren’t speaking any more.”
Tally also worked with Gary after Take That, when he launched his solo career
“I spotted myself on the Netflix documentary at the press conference where they announced they were splitting up and, my God, what a memory. I knew what was coming and I felt bereft. The atmosphere in the make-up room beforehand was heavy, and instead of the usual chatter and gossip, it was quiet and pensive.
“Afterwards, my dad helped to pick up the pieces by taking me to a health retreat so I could have a mental and physical reset. I was drained from travelling the world, and I’d been sitting backstage snacking on sweets, so I wasn’t feeling great physically either. It wasn’t an indulgent place but my mum and dad knew it was exactly what I needed in those immediate few days after the announcement, before I joined the boys again for their last few months together.
“During the band’s last week, in spring 1996, I asked Nigel if I could use a camera to capture some moments, because I wanted to give the boys a little set of photographs each. We didn’t have mobile phones with cameras in those days, and I wanted to take pictures of their little daft moments, when they were mucking about and jumping on each other, or having a takeaway together – nothing styled or posed.”
Tally was with the boys until their split in 1996
“I’ll never forget taking the film into my local camera shop to be developed, and saying, ‘Please can I have five sets of these photos, and if this gets leaked, I’ll know where it came from!’ I don’t think the girl serving me knew what to expect, and when I turned up to collect them she looked like she was about to pass out!
“Those candid, behind-the-scenes moments are what I cherish most – it was just raw, 90s fun. After they broke up, I worked with Gary when he launched his solo career. I loved him and his wife Dawn. They had such a beautiful, young love story and made me feel like part of their little family.
“I can’t quite believe it’s been 30 years since that time. They are honestly the best memories I have. And I know it was probably a lot of girls’ dream job, but I didn’t think of it like that at the time, it was just a job – an amazing, bonkers, fun and unforgettable job.”
Take That – The Circus Live Tour 2026
To celebrate the highly anticipated return of Take That’s The Circus Live Tour, OK! is releasing this special glossy collector’s edition charting the band’s incredible story so far. Featuring exclusive interviews, rare photographs, emotional fan stories, and backstage secrets, this is a must-have for any Take That fan ahead of the biggest tour of the year!
From the early days of 90’s stardom to their glam return featuring sleeker, more grown up looks – this essential glossy mag is the perfect capsule of the entire Take That journey.
Don’t miss out – pick up a copy in all good newsagents or buy online here.
