But GARY BARLOW has found his bandmates' Achilles heel - the signs of old age.

The cheeky singer, who hit 40 three months ago, has been upsetting the elder statesmen, HOWARD DONALD - who is 43 in a fortnight - and JASON ORANGE, 40, by ribbing them about getting on a bit.

Howard said: "I am very sensitive about my age. Gary will make jokes that I'm 46 or 47 and it really p***** me off. I feel like I'm still fit enough to go on, I don't feel my age."

The lads might be fitter than most 30-year-olds but they are showing some signs of wear and tear. Howard ended up in hospital four years ago after his lung collapsed when he tried the splits during a gig in Milan.

These days there must be a lot of Deep Heat knocking around back-stage.

Even young 'un MARK OWEN is getting nervy about the length of the hair in his lughole.

Mark, 39, said: "I'm pleased we have got this far through our lives - almost halfway hopefully, that's quite an achievement."

If KEITH RICHARDS has made it to the ripe old age of 67, there's more than a whisker's chance this lot will one day collect their bus passes.

Troublemaker Gary seems to be the only star happy to be approaching middle age. He said: "People still find it hard to believe I'm 40.

"Actually I'm not bothered about age. I'm really happy and it's lovely to be 40, I'd recommend it to anyone. Music is a young person's industry but you want a few of the older bands like us around.

"We don't have a plan for how long it is going to last."

Work has started on getting match fit for the epic Progress tour, kicking off on May 30.

Perhaps the eye-catching cover of the album should look more like the version on the left.

More than £15million has been spent on the set for the gigs and the lads are competing to see who'll be the fittest.

Gary and 37-year-old ROBBIE WILLIAMS even have money riding on who can lose the most timber.

Источник: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3526755/Take-That-Were-an-old-boyband.html