Lorelei Reddin is late to the Take That and Party, but is loving every minute of it...

I was given seven whole minutes in which to quiz the three remaining members of Take That with all the probing questions I've been meaning to ask them ever since I became a Thatter around about a quarter of a century ago this week.

But after a truly special night at Mayflower Theatre watching them make a surprise finale appearance in The Band which I dare say is my favourite musical of all time, my friends and colleagues didn't seem quite so interested in their world views or plans for the next global tour.

But they were desperate to know whether Gary Barlow would be going grey gracefully (I daren't ask him as he is currently sporting a 90s platinum quiff, but I certainly need some Silver Fox Barlow in my life), how short Mark Owen was (quite) and whether Howard Donald smelt nice (not up to the nicest smelling man in showbiz levels of Craig David, but perfectly passable.)

I had feared I'd missed the chance to meet the boys when their rumoured concert appearance at St Mary's was scuppered by my beloved Saints going into administration a few years ago, but at the time that was the least of my worries.

But it's been non stop Take That these past few months in the run up to The Band's Southampton stint with four flights to and from Manchester and plenty of close encounters of the Barlow kind.

In terms of the other big names in showbiz from my lifetime, I'd love more than anything to get both the Gallagher brothers in the same room at the same time and see what sort of hell was let loose.

I became the Echo's entertainments editor shortly after their appearance at the then Rose Bowl and have always wondered what it would be like to be on the receiving end of a Liam rant.

So I could do with them making up, reforming Oasis and bringing them to Southampton, but I won't hold my breath.

I can report that Take That were just as lovely as expected and I'm a little bit more in love than I was even yesterday much to the horror of my colleagues, who are fed up with hearing the T words.

Hopefully that won't be the last time our paths cross.

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