Take That’s ex-manager says he knows why Jason Orange left the band
Jason Orange of Take That (Mike Marsland/Getty Images)
Take That’s former manager Nigel Martin-Smith has spilled the beans on why Jason Orange left the manband.
Jason Orange was one of the founding members of Take That, alongside Mark Owen, Robbie Williams, Howard Donald and Gary Barlow.
Robbie left the band in 1995 and they limped on for one more year before their first split.
Take That at Magic FM (Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
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They reunited in 2005 as a four-piece without Robbie, and while Robbie returned for 2011’s Progress album and tour, both he and Jason quit the group in 2014, leaving them as a trio.
Nigel Martin-Smith was the band’s manager for their heady 1990s period, plotting their rise to stardom from their early appearances at gay clubs.
He told the Daily Star, that despite the fame and fortune, Jason apparently felt unhappy.
“When I put Jason in the band he loved it but he turned around years later and said he was upset with me,” Martin Smith said.
“He said he couldn’t sing, he wasn’t a musician and I had no right to put him in the band. He wanted to know why I did it to him.
“He said he had loads of issues as a result of it and seemed to blame me for ruining his life. I couldn’t believe it.”
Martin-Smith added: “I said, ‘Jay, you’ve travelled the world first class, stayed in five-star hotels, had women throwing themselves at you, had the most amazing life, with how many millions in the bank’.
“It must have been so horrible for him. That’s how bizarre it is.”
There has been much speculation about Robbie potential rejoining the group at some point in the future.
But Martin-Smith expressed doubts that that they would ever tour or record as a five-piece again, because Jason Orange is “happier out of the limelight”.
Take That’s last studio album was this year’s Wonderland, which went Gold but was their first album since their 1992 debut Take That & Party to fail to top the charts, peaking as that did at number two.
